Sport > World > Lists > Fittest Sport > ESPN

The Most Demanding Sports - Boxing Beats All

Here are the results of a detailed analysis to decide once-and-for-all which of the world's sports is the most demanding. The folks at 'Page 2' on the ESPN site did the analysis in 2004 - it was not just based on personal opinion (check out this list based on personal opinion), they got together a bunch of experts and ranked a range of attributes (endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility, hand-eye coordination, nerve, durability and analytic aptitude). See more about these ten skills that go into athleticism.

Boxing Rules

The top-ranked sport as determined by ESPN was boxing (and the sport they rated as the least demanding was fishing!). There may have been a biased view of the US sports in this study, which is understandable if the voters were more familiar with them, and only 60 of the world's sports were voted on (I have listed 750+ sports). I know of at least one sport that would have to rank very high but is not there at all - the Irish game of Hurling. Look it up - it's fast, skillful and you need to be very tough. Australian Rules Football is also a noticeable omission. Don't agree with this list? See our analysis of sports which has come up with our own list of the World's Fittest Sport.

Ranking List

Once the 10 attributes of athleticism were identified, they then asked a group of experts made up of sports scientists, kinesiology academics and sporting journalists to assign a number from 1 to 10 to each of these skills. This analysis was applied to 60 sports from around the world, and the final results are shown in the list below. See also the sports lists for each of the components of athleticism.

Boxing
Ice Hockey
American Football
Basketball
Wrestling
Martial Arts
Tennis
Gymnastics
Baseball/Softball
Soccer
Alpine Skiing
Water Polo
Rugby
Lacrosse
Rodeo: Steer Wrestling
Track and Field: Pole Vault
Field Hockey
Speed Skating
Figure Skating
Cycling: Distance
Volleyball
Racquetball/Squash
Surfing
Fencing
Skiing: Freestyle
Team Handball
Cycling: Sprints
Bobsledding/Luge
Ski Jumping
Badminton
Nordic Skiing
Auto Racing
Track and Field: High Jump
Track and Field: Long, Triple jumps
Diving
Swimming (all strokes): Distance
Skateboarding
Track and Field: Sprints
Rowing
Rodeo: Calf Roping
Track and Field: Distance
Rodeo: Bull/Bareback/Bronc Riding
Track and Field: Middle Distance
Weight-Lifting
Swimming (all strokes): Sprints
Water Skiing
Table Tennis
Track and Field: Weights
Canoe/Kayak
Horse Racing
Golf
Cheerleading
Roller Skating
Equestrian
Archery
Curling
Bowling
Shooting
Billiards
Fishing

Old Comments

Commenting is closed on this page, though you can read some previous comments below which may answer some of your questions.

Badminton is both more physically and technically demanding than tennis (Joshua, June 2023)
I don't normally post comments on sites like this, but who rights this crap!! First random question, is this an American company by any chance, as the top four, or at least three are American sports. And as a former elite Badminton player, you're trying to tell me that baseball and lacrosse are more physically demanding than Badminton? What a joke!! (from Mike adams, Sept 2021) - yes Mike, ESPN is an American company
Motocross beats every sport. in any way stupid city people say its not even a sport. from Gary2 (2013)
- Jaketheman Gary2 (2013)
  I do believe it is a sport, but how can motorcross beat wrestling in any way, and how would know that for a fact actually? Just wondering.
Jordan Jaketheman (2013)
Have you ever tried or watched motocross? It beats wrestling by a long ways. Motocross is the most physically demanding sport there is.
Paige c Jordan (2013)
Motocross all the way
Joe Jordan (2013)
Um no have you tried wrestling? You use every single muscle in your body. Motocross is for those who don't want to actually move
Zackrey joe (2014)
I used to wrestle for 7 years, my brothers and I went to state, we can all assure you motocross is more physical demanding, its doesn't mean that wrestling isn't, just motocross is a lot more.
Luke Zackrey (2014)
"I used to wrestle for 7 years, my brothers and I went to state" Rubbish, If you actually wrestled and went to state, you would have obviously been training and working out and watching your calories all year long. So, and you obviously dont do anything "physically demanding" in motorcross except lift a bike in the air and turn in????
JKD72 Luke (2016)
You have clearly never ridden a dirt bike. I used to wrestle and sure you use muscles but not for 30 minutes plus two laps. Don't say something is easy if you have never done it.
Fransiskus Guntur Luke (2020)
motorcross is not about riding a motorcycle with normal car speed, the terrain is the challenging part
Komoriblues Luke (2017)
"Don't do anything obviously don't do anything "physically demanding". .such a stupid comment, I've played Ice Hockey as a goal keeper, on an international soccer team, cross country, etc. .motocross needs to be on this list. .don't be such an idiot. .it is very physically demanding and as you wear down you put yourself more at risk in making a huge mistake for injury.
Zachary Fuqua Luke (2016)
you have clearly never ridden one look up loretta lynss look how much more motocross pros train and their routine ive wrestled for four years and i will tell you this motocross is way more demanding and your right all wrestlers do it roll around on a matt
Zsavage1 Luke (2016)
one day when you grow up and learn something.. then make a post that doesn't make you look so foolish.. Motorcross uses nearly every part of your body, and some.. and luke, if you used more than your warrior thumbs.. you might just learn something...
David Luke (2015)
Get out of your tights and get on a bike and try to ride at the level of a pro MX rider. Pro MX goes for 30 min + 2 laps. (About 33 min) at max heart rate, with no rest. How long do you roll around a mat with men for before resting.
Zsavage1 David (2016)
you mean get out of his tutu... :)
Shaffer714 joe (2014)
Motocross is not only the most physically demanding but also the most mentally demanding, try having 30 or 40 other bikes around you in one small turn, try going around a track just once, and tell me how tired you get, I had a kidney laceration, concussion, sprained wrist and chipped ankle all In one wreck last year, why do you think pros train and workout everyday along with ride? Just because it's fun? No. You obviously have no idea what the hell you're talking about so grow a set and go try racing.
Ryan Shaffer714 (2014)
Lots of people who Moto here. I would agree that it look like one of the most dangerous sports because of a multiple things, speed being #1 I assume. I used to ride(not race) a 400 yami and it's definitely a workout. It probably lacks a bit in explosiveness compared (hockey), flexibility (wrestling). It is a motor sports though and you rely on your bike being top notch, that's why it's a it's hard to compare to some other sports which rely 100% on your physical attributes. . It compares to snowcross (which might even rate higher than moto). You can't say it's the toughest because of the severity of the injuries. Lots of sports have high injury rates. My point is that there should be categories (team, athletic, endurance, strength, motor sports, human assisted, animal, water, air, snow, skating, wind, weapon, disabled). Maybe take the top three of each category and compare them.
One question for you, how does Snowcross and
Motocross compare to eachother?
Zsavage1 Ryan (2016)
it's not about the bike.. it's 80% the rider.. I have had smaller bikes and beat the hell out of larger ones around a track.. I didn't race them pro or anything.. this is just the guys in the neighborhood.. you know not what you say...
Moto joe (2013)
Actually try riding FAST around a track for 35+ minutes and hitting 130 ft jumps and tell me motocross is easy.
JeromeMX18 joe (2014)
Joe you are totally wrong I have done both wrestling and motocross they are both hard but obviously you haven't tried motocross because of what you said so don't say that if you don't have the balls to try motocross plus a lot of wrestleing is touching a lot of guys
Zsavage1 JeromeMX18 (2016)
I wrestled my wife.... does that count?...lol she is bigger than me.. o.O
Theast joe (2014)
have you tried motocross? I wrestled for 5 years and never got hurt. 2 years after riding moto and i had nearly broken my arm, and got knocked out for about 5 minutes. you have to move all over the place for moto
Zachary Fuqua joe (2016)
uhh i have been wrestling for 4 years now and racing motocross since 3 years old i cant tell you how much more demanding motocross is the pace you go the heart rate has to be at a certain amount of beats the breaking bumps you have to handle so i want to see you go as fast as pros and fyi the pros train seven days a week day long look up their training videos
Brian joe (2014)
Are you kidding me, not only are you manuvuring your self the hole time, you have the heavy bike, the speed, and half the time your doing the in the air
Wooby Jordan (2014)
Being an 8 year wrestler I personally have bursitis in both of my knees and elbows, have had both of my ears drained about 8 times for cauliflower ear, have broken my left collarbone twice, and have several other fractures. Not to mention you cannot compete unless you stay under a set weight for several months each season... Also, your body needs to be in perfect metabolic and cardiovascular shape to perform. Wrestling is like the equivalent of sprinting when it comes to cardio. You literally use (nearly) every single muscle in your body, and that includes your neck, the muscles in your hands and feet, your shoulders, chest, legs, and it can be very strenuous on your knees to repeatedly practice moves over and over that put a lot of weight over you. Not to mention the mental stress... After wrestling, I never get nervous in any other sport.
Chase34 Wooby (2015)
Well try getting rapid heavy punches for 12 rounds. See if you are still on your feet.
Curtis Chase34 (2015)
try to clear a 150ft triple and case it and u fly over ur handlebars and the bike lands on top of you and it crushes ur back. then all of the other racers behind u start to land on top of u.(the bikes are 220-250 pounds and then the riders weight on top of that) try to get up and walk away. getting punched for 12 rounds will recover faster. it was even proved in the 1970s by several scientists that motocross is the most physical demanding sport.
Chase34 curtis (2016)
If what you say happens, it will kill you. How is it physical demanding because of that? Your scenario is retarted. So if I'm a pedestrian it is more physical demanding than boxing because a car might kill me?
In every article, boxing is always number 1 as the most physical demanding sport so spare me with your "proof".
Motogirl717 Chase34 (2016)
lol! That scenario has happened to me and surprise I'm still alive! I think what "Curtis" was getting at was that if you are out of shape when that happens you will not be able to walk away. When that happened to me I hardly walked way and I think the only reason that I was able to walk away was because i had started cheerleading and my coach is really strict with conditioning
Tristun Reeves Jordan (2015)
lol your funny you are riding a vehicle, you obviously have never wrestled before in your life. if motorcross is the most physically demanding sport for you then you might need to rethink your life a little bit
Zachary Fuqua Tristun Reeves (2016)
its funny your just hugging someone on a matt
Eddie Jaketheman (2013)
easy in a race your racing for 15min plus and your not just wrestling against your own weight but your weight and a 250 pound bike plus 40horsepower to the rear wheel on a rough track. and explaining it wont differentiate your opinion until you get on a real race bike on a real track. Then your thought will change, in more ways than one. i have wrestled and all sports and nothing compares to motocross.
Guest eddie (2014)
In motocross do you have to eat 600 calories a day and drink only 8oz of water a day? Do you have to run 3 miles every day then go sit in a hot tub or sauna? Then come home and spit into a cup? Oh yeah and let's not forget school, homework and wrestling practice or a match. The matches are intense physically and mentally. You use every muscle in your body and are constantly moving with no breaks. Also you have to get mentally prepared for the match and you can't let your opponent get to your head. So tell now if you think motocross is harder than wrestling.
Chito ryu mma fighter 4 life Guest (2014)
Do research before you make ignorant replies. Wresting is super tough I've done and love both. But moto is much harder physically. Most riders heart rate is higher than a wrestler ' before they even leave the gate!
Kevin Guest (2014)
I have wrestled and even won state, but I also race and it is harder...in my opinion.
Just makin a point Guest (2014)
Motocross is a lot harder that wrestling, I'm not saying that wrestling isn't hard but I know people who have done both and mx is clearly harder, look at supercross, those people do all the things you listed because that's what all pro athletes do to train and condition,watch videos, personal trainers who specialize in all different kinds of sports including wrestling and motocross say that supercross riders have to go to the most extreme lengths to stay anywhere near the top of their game, also, watch the video" the heart of motocross", you'll be amazed of what mental and physical challenges those deticated families go through, it's is un believable. Don't get me wrong though, wrestling is a great sport and it's very physical, but in motocross, you have everything to lose if you screw up.
Harry Guest (2014)
We'll in motocross u have to ride 15 miles a day on a bike cycle then work out for the next 4 hours then go to the track and then ride for the rest of the day and just to add with that in motocross it takes a lot of money and commitment to be able to do this and all u need for boxing a few gloves and other things
Halo14 Harry (2014)
studies have shown that activities you describe aren't necessarily more physically demanding than shorter more power duration moves or actions; which means sports that have "breaks" as people have stated carry over power actions and heart rate over into the next power segments- resulting in maximizing your athletic achievement
Nathan Guest (2014)
If you want to win championships you do. 600 calories a day?? Thats one meal.. maybe you mean 6,000. Regardless, intense cardio, weight training, diet, etc are incorporated heavily in motocross. 3, 5, even 10 miles running, biking, swimming, whatever and hours of practice on and off the bike each day. Another thing with motocross and supercross, young kids even at the ages as low as 5 are mostly home schooled and are on the road every weekend in order to compete in races. The races are intensely physical and mental as well. Imagine going 100% for 15 minutes on a 200lb motorcycle exceeding speeds of 80 mph on 100 ft jumps while riding inches beside another rider who is also going through what you are experiencing. Your mind is tasked heavily and your body. Also, with motocross you don't have one opponent, you have many, and they are all equally able to get into your head. Wrestling is child's play compared to motocross, and can't even be compared. Obviously by your response, you know nothing about motocross. However, I'm not saying wrestling is not a physically demanding sport, but no where near the level of motocross. Sorry, bud.
Cody nathan (2014)
Right haha because you can get away with eating 6,000 calories in wrestling a day. I swear motocross riders think their sport is tougher than a gorilla fighting a bear.
Silas Powers cody (2015)
Don't tell me it's not until you start to race for a national championship. Because you don't know. You can't judge it and say it's not hard by watching YouTube videos.
DatBoi Guest (2018)
Training is even more demanding for motocross. You run farther as well as ride a bicycle for many miles. Then lift weight and other things like that. Then you go out side and ride for hours a day. At competition every weekend, You have to ride a 230 pound machine that has 60+ horsepower to the rear wheel controlled only by your right hand and left foot, which, by the way, are battling the terrain 100% of the time. You get weaker as you go on, making you more prone to injury. Getting weaker means you are less able to control throttle, front AND rear brakes, shift between gears, and use the clutch. You must grip on to the bike tight with you hands, ankles, and thighs. You are constantly standing up and then sitting down and then standing back up again. The change in your stance and foot position change for every type of obstacle. In wrestling all you wear is a leotard, where in Moto you have to wear boots, knee pads, heavy pants, jersey, chest protector, and a helmet. I'll let you figure out the weight. In wrestling you are matched with one person, motocross you are battling 39 riders as well as yourself. One thing they have in common is quick thinking though. Another thing that separates them is the different types of muscle movement. To shift and brake using your feet is and up and down motion but in wrestling you dont use your feet and ankles much. Did I mention you are constantly squatting on the motorcycle? To top it all off, your maintaining a heart rate of 190+ IN THE HEAT(90-100) for 30+ SUSTAINED minutes, which in wrestling a round can end easy. My guess is wrestling is done indoors in cooled temperatures. Another guess is motocross has many financial sacrifices you have to make to do well. Bikes are 10 grand, a mode of transportation around the country is like 100 grand, which you need to pay gas for as they get like 8 mpg.
Lizza Angelis Guest (2017)
I could not tell you which sport is more physically demanding, wrestling or motocross. So I am not going to try to say which one is harder. All you need to know is that they are different sports and require different things from their athletes. Does that make one harder than the other? No, it just makes them different. But they aren't so different.
Wrestlers run for multiple miles daily, Riders bicycle for multiple miles daily.
Wrestlers have a diet that they use to achieve their physical requirements, Riders have a diet that they use to help them achieve their physical requirements.
Wrestlers are drug tested, Riders are drug tested. (Though their drug of choice will differ)
Wrestlers have to have mental focus and discipline or they will lose. Riders must have mental focus or they will crash.
Wrestlers are always in a constant state of movement. Riders are always moving between sitting, squatting, and standing swing their bodies left or right. All while braking, clutching, throttle, and shifting gears.
Wrestlers get hit hard. Riders get hit hard.
Wrestlers fight without a break. Riders ride without a break.
In fact the only way they are different is that schools have a wrestling team. They do not have a motocross team. So most serious motocross riders looking to turn pro will usually end up home schooled, because they can't do the structured education and the commitments to motocross.
.... So tell me how Motocross is any less hard than wrestling?
For some interesting insight, check out the YouTube Series MX Nation. As for which is harder? I do not know. They are both hard and both take complete commitment.
Laramie Payne Guest (2015)
Google "worlds most physically demanding sports" and look at the very first thing that comes up. hahahahaha motocross
Laramie Payne Guest (2015)
Ummmm yes. You do. Go google motocross diets and motocross training plans. Read articles from Racer X, watch videos on youtube, do whatever. But you have to be in top physical condition to compete in motocross. Sorry bud. You're talking to a professional motocross racer here.
Guest Guest (2015)
School,homework, work. Then putting in 15 minute motos. Running. Lifting. Tire flips. Plus staying up late to work on your bikes, us getting our bike off the stand is equivalent to the amount of physical labor in a full wrestling match. Also being a wrestler, I can say without you complaining, motocross is far more physically demanding than football, basketball, wrestling, track, and other sport you throw on the table.
Gibbydubbydooblydabbb Guest (2015)
No but you do have to run 10+ miles go on a bike ride for 50+ miles every single day. You have to literally spend every single day training no matter what. There is no such thing as an off day in motocross. Your heart rate is higher in motocross before you even start to ride than it ever will be in wrestling. Your on a 250 pound machine with anywhere from 25-80 horsepower on two wheels. You have a long sleeve jersey, thick heavy pants, heavy boots, gloves, chest protector(if you wear one), helmet and goggles in anywhere from 60-100° temperatures. You have 39 other riders with knee deep ruts flying anywhere from 10-180+ feet through the air to land on a slope filled with ruts. If you still think wrestling is easier your crazy
JoshuaK27 Guest (2015)
look up the university of southern california cardiovascular research on athletes, soccer and motocross ranked 1 and 2. I raced, and you're right we dont eat 600 cals a day to make weight we eat 4k just to keep us energized lol
Silas Powers eddie (2015)
In GNCC you run on average 3 hours+. Tell me it's not the hardest sport to come of this world. Your in head to toe gear you get blurred vision. Your running for 3 hours as fast as you can got he track is changing each lap. There is more to it than sitting down on a seat and twisting the throttle. Until you guys start to race and compete for a national championship don't tell me that it's not the hardest sport ever.
Chase34 Silas Powers (2015)
Try getting heavy punched for 12 round and still be on your feet "motocrosser".
John eddie (2015)
Actually, I race for 20mins straight. adrenaline pumping. controling a 220lb bike with 64hp (KTM 450 Factory). Heart rates up in tthe 160-175 range for 20mins? yeah its hard. I do motocross, football, basketball, and have done baseball. nothing compares to motocross
Harry Jaketheman (2014)
Motocross is harder than u think you have to be able to have many different skills to do it and you are moving your body the whole time
Jaketheman Harry (2014)
In wrestling you move your whole body too, so really it's not any different. Plus in wrestling you literally have to starve yourself, do drills, stay the same weight for the season, and motivate yourself to overcome your opponent. I apologize if I offended anybody about motorcross not being hard and all, but wrestling is demanding.
Gavin Jaketheman (2020)
I do both motocross and wrestling and wrestling beats motocross but mother crass beats football and hockey
Myrren Smith Jaketheman (2014)
Well when you have raced two half hour moto's in blistering heat against 39 other top riders and hit the pits with a face full of dirt, then you will know how motocross (note it is not spelt with an 'r' as only those who have no idea put an 'r' in the spelling) is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world and would be way past wrestling.
You love man juice Jaketheman (2014)
Try falling from 30 feet at 40 mph. Hurts a lot more than cuddling men. How many wrestlers are held together with rods & pins. Dummy
Jaketheman You love man juice (2014)
Really now? You wouldn't survive a minute in wresting.
Chris Jaketheman (2014)
Pro wrestlers weigh lets say an average of 200lbs. Hard work to stop a 200lb (but we'll say 230lbs for comparing purposes) freight train of muscle coming at you. An extremly fit human can generate almost 1/4 of a horespower. But when you imagine wrestling around a 230lb chunk of metal with upwards of 55hp.... Yeah, quite a difference.
Not only that, but you when have to move that chunk around for 30 odd minutes at full mental and physical capacity - and were not even getting into multi hour hare scrambles here - I consider it to be the most energy intensive sport out there.
To give you some perspective, watch some RedBull hare scrambles, i assure you it will change your opinion.
Jwood113 Gary2 (2013)
I've raced motocross for 7 years and even won a state title. I've also wrestled. Motocross doesn't even come close to the toughness of wrestling. Sorry.
Leighton Wilson Jwood113 (2015)
State title? No such thing... There is state races
Dan Pike Gary2 (2013)
Get in the ring then Buddy.
Lupac Gary2 (2014)
Have a football superstar verse a motorcross superstar in a race/strength competition and we'll see who wins.
Micheal Gary2 (2014)
I agree motocross should be in the top 5 for sure man, I raced in motocross for 2 years and just recently got into boxing, I could ride on a track pretty quickly for 30 minutes straight and i'd be tired afterwards, but after boxing even 10 minutes I can barely walk. I understand it's very hard to ride with your heart racing for 35 minutes straight, but professional boxers box for 40 minutes.... well, 3 minutes and 1 minute between each round. It gets REALLY tough. I believe boxing is right for number 1, but motocross is definitely number 2
Mat Gary2 (2014)
This is the dumbest debate I've read in a while. Thanks for reminding me how passionate people can get about stupid debates!
Yuri Nator Gary2 (2020)
It's not a sport because you're using a machine to help you move. MXis tough. It's not for the faint of heart. But it's not a sport. Sort of like how pro wrestling isn't for the faint of heart, but it's also not a sport. .
Bloop Gary2 (2017)
I have the same problem, but at least people know about Motocross, no one knows about Ocean racing.... :(
Bloop Gary2 (2017)
You may be right, I've never tried motorcross. we sailors have the same problem, "you guys just sit in a boat and let the wind do the work, right?"
People tell me its not a "real sport", why don't you stop playing golf and have a go in a 49er in 20 knots. Or better, take a round the world trip on a Volvo Ocean race Yacht, it'll be a nice tropical holiday.
Zsavage1 Gary2 (2016)
you are 100% right..!! takes more effort and you use more of your body than any other sport.. period..
Olifter Gary2 (2015)
Imagine just for a minute taking your, lets say 250 lbs bike, squatting down and in one explosive movement lifting it over head. That's not even enough weight to be considered competitive in weightlifting. No love for weightlifting which is truly the most difficult sport on earth. It requires not only super human strength, but balance, flexibility, speed, endurance, and concentration that almost defies the limits humanly possible. Olympic weightlifters can jump higher than basketball players and can smoke sprinters for the first few yards. Try this squat down and touch your butt to the floor. Most won't even have the flexibility to do that without weight, let alone 400 lbs and stand back up.
Wyatt Gary2 (2015)
I agree highly like people that have never rode a bike just say it's easy it doesn't take any phisical strength and stuff like that and it makes me mad
Alex Gary2 (2015)
I'd actually put Formula 1 ahead of Motocross due to the extra muscular and mental stamina required.
Lizza Angelis alex (2017)
I'd place IndyCar over Formula 1 because their races tend to be longer, and their cars have limited driver aides. They do not even have Power Steering in IndyCar.... I have a lot of respect for Indy and F1 drivers, but MX/SX require more physical and mental stamina.
Walter Molloy alex (2015)
You have no idea... I have been involved in MX/SX at the highest level, wrestling does not come close... how about racing a 4 hour National cross country of a National Hare and Hound.. not on of you so called experts have a clue what you are talking about...
Terry Felt (2013)
Motorcross should be in the top. This is not a biased view. They pound there body for 35 minutes and risk their lives every rutted jump they glide. There have been more injuries and fatalities from the sport then any other sport out there. People start riding there bikes near the day they can walk (around 2-3) and still sometimes can't make it out to be a pro from injury or lack of physical endurance.
Jaketheman (2013)
Wrestling is actually the most complexed sport in history, no doubt about it.
Theast Jaketheman (2014)
actually moto is. you have to throw a 200+ pound bike all over the place and pay attention to everyone else on the track
Justin (2013)
I'd like to see a motocross rider pull a 2k. I say they'd quit at 1000 meters. Rowing should definatley be higher than things like basketball baseball and even football. As a varsity competitor of all three and then joining rowing... Nothing compares. But, I do appreciate gymnastics, water polo, and rugby
Braeden888 Justin (2013)
Dude Im 17 from nz i do motocross AND rowing. I was in the a final at the nz champs. I still think moto is MUCH harder than rowing. sure rowing aint all rainbows and sunshine its a load of handwork. BUT motocross is much harder! You just got served sir.
Matty Justin (2013)
The level you just underestimated motocross riders....: Severe
Motolife174 Justin (2014)
Justin you know nothing about what it takes for these athletes to train...watch the interview with Ryan Villopoto and hear his detailed daily training. than compare to everything else..and one thing everyone is forgetting...all other sports, wrestling aside are team sports. In both of these sports it is every man for themselves, there is no team when your on the track. Guys that have the crew and sponsor "team" will cut each other off and not think anything about it. It is all about who crosses the finish line first! Supercross/Motocross needs to be on list...they didn't find the experts in this sport for their imput..Hurricane Hannah, The GOAT-Ricky Carmichael..plenty of experts to explain the athleticism involved.
Db186 Justin (2013)
Justin, I do agree with your views but I must let you know that one of the world's top racer; Mike Alessi, does those as "one" of his endurance training for racing. I also race motocross and rowing is an excellent way to strengthen my forearms and keep me on my toes when my heart rate is very high for extended times.
Stone Justin (2014)
Many motocross riders actually row boats to train since it works so many muscle groups at once.....so i am certain they could keep up
Stu (2013)
Baseball is NOT a demanding sport. Anyone who knows how to hit a ball can play. Whereas even you know how to throw a football or kick a soccer ball, you can't play that sport. I believe that "number of skills/abilities required to play" are important. But there are occasions where the physicality of the sport outweighs other factors. I can safely acknowledge that rowing is extremely hard. I did rowing once, and I saw other competitors fainting and passing out due to the fatigue that it put on the body. I, myself, could not stand up after competing in a rowing competition.
Natalieshaddox (2013)
Why is motocross not listed? It's way more physically demanding than most if not all of these sports listed. If you have any doubt then I suggest you take a 200+ lbs bike for few laps and then tell me how you feel. People have no clue what it truly takes to ride motocross. You should really look up some of the sports top athletes training videos. I'm in no way dissing all the other sports or athletes I've got nothing but respect for them all but to say motocross riders couldn't compete with other athletes is probably the most ignorant thing I've ever heard.
Ted Natalieshaddox (2013)
They left motocross off this list because it is on another level entirely. They just didn't want to make all these other "athletes" feel bad about themselves. I have been racing for 14 years, I have also played soccer, tennis, football, basketball, and ran cross country. None are even remotely close. Cross country is the next toughest sport I have done, but that is only about 1/4 of my training for motocross. I also have to lift, cycle (road and mountain), and of course, ride my motorcycle.
Makoosik (2013)
baseball requires more athleticism than soccer? Get out of here!
Swimchick22 (2013)
...first of all, the fact that things like 'team handball' and badmiton are listed above any form of swimming is just absurd. I challenge anyone that hasn't done any competitive swimming to swim one practice, accomplish over 8,000 yards a day, do sprints, and extreme endurance distance events and THEN try and tell me that swimming deserves to be ranked 36th and 45th. i dont know who the "experts" are, but that is ridiculous.
Sonya (2013)
Why has.n't motocross or endrocross been investigated? Big mistake.
My grandson rides 90 min. endros back to back (Sat & Sun). It is like running a marathon.
Tyler sonya (2013)
does he have to recover for days after doing them?
Julie (2013)
football is so over rated
Kyle (2013)
Is it just me or is EVERYONE on this damn website a motocross rider?
But to me Wrestling is one of the top, granted I have never once even rode motocross, mainly because it's a battle between two guys who have been trained to takedown and pin the other, for sometimes 10 full minutes you are just going full power at someone your own size and having to lift them, so if you ask me, wrestling
M (2013)
Swimming-#36?? Really??
Competitive swimming is overlooked SO often, swimming deserves to be in the top 1-10. This sport requires so much endurance, physical training, and mental training that I doubt some other athletes could even handle half of the average high school varsity swim practice. No other sport leaves someone so tired, so full of pain than swimming does. (no one has felt pain until they've swam the last lap of a race and the burning that is in your body its the most extreme pain but you still have to keep on giving it your all) and when you finish the idea is to be in anerobic shock meaning you don't have have enough oxygen in your blood stream. No other sport in the world has as much repetive motion as swimming does. you can not take a stoke or not kick you have to coninually move every muscle in your body for hours on end with out oxygen. At the end of a lap, you are so out of breath. But no, you cant breathe yet. Do a flipturn. Stay underwater, streamline and kick. Your lungs are burning, but no, don't breathe yet. Get to the surface, swim your breakout strokes. Stick your head to the side (or out for butterfly/breastroke) and take a sip of oxygen, stick your head right back down. Lungs still burning, muscles burning.
Swimming takes so much training, A lot of people think that at swim practice we just swim back and forth the whole time and that's that, but it's so much more than that. The sets we do are so utterly grueling and demanding of your body. I've seen many people (myself included) throw up out of pain and exhaustion during practice.We are eating 2-4 times more calories than the average person every day to keep up with calories burned while swimming.
I'd like to see a soccer player, or a football player hop in the pool and do a 400 IM or a 200 butterfly, or swim a practice with the 10 year olds and watch them stop at the wall after a 100 saying they can't do it.
Sorry I went on a rant. I just can't believe this amazing sport isn't at least #3.
Julie M (2013)
This just said it all i totally agree with you 110% swimming is the hardest and the best sport and yeah swimmers eat a lot haha!!!!!!
RowingIsFoeople M (2014)
Try riding a dirtbike then tell me how you feel the swimming is top 10
Mary (2014)
Well I've done both. And I can tell you that swimming is WAY harder than motocross. It requires actual physical strength and endurance, motocross you're just relying on your bike. Hop in the water and swim 3 mile without stopping (something swimmers do on a regular basis). Then you can tell me that motocross is harder than swim. Ignorant idiots like you trash swimming when all you've ever done is splashed around in the YMCA pool playing marco polo.
Chris mary (2014)
Well Mary, I am in complete agreement that swimming should be in the top 10, probably top 3 most likely ( And believe me, I know that pain) I'm a lifeguard at my pool, am part of a swim team, and swim train every other day. However, i also race motocross, (And am in no way a pro) and ican tell you that if you think you just "rely on your bike", you are very wrong. I assume your "motocross" consisted of 5minutes of riding your cousins 125cc 4t around in circles. It is completely unparalleled by any sport in the way of physical exertion. Watch some pov on youtube- then realize that was just one lap and they probably were practicing. Then watch " for people who say motocross is easy". Realize that swimming, though hard, is not near motocross.
Jason mary (2014)
If you think motocross is just "relying on your bike" then the only experience you have is riding a bike around an open yard at 8mph.
Sarah (2013)
well dance was proven harder than foot ball by Harvard University so I guess Dance is technically #3 even though this list is completely Bias towards mens sports.. ever gone through everything to got en Pointe and you'll find every sport easy
Tevyn M (2013)
where is motocross in this list? having to consistently have a heart rate of 160 and above for 17 to 35 minutes straight depending on the race of motocross (outdoors) or supercross (indoors). this sports list includes skateboarding which is not a hard sport but has a risk of injury. motocross is an extremely hard sport with and extreme risk of injury. Also, motocross riders have to be in the best shape possible. the Millsaps Training Facility for amateur riders was asked by OLYMPIC ATHLETES to have their training schedule and train there and they were declined. So if motocross is "so easy" you go out and try controlling a 200 pound or more dirtbike with your whole body for 15 to however long the race is.
Jt (2013)
why is table tennis on there
Lizza Angelis jt (2017)
I was wondering why Fishing was on the list....
Joey Delamare (2013)
And where the hell is motorcross?! And auto racing is 32. Some people!
Doug (2013)
I think most of the people commenting are forgetting what areas they are basing this list on (endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility, hand-eye coordination, nerve, durability and analytic aptitude). While a goalie in the NHL will probably have better hand-eye coordination and agility than a rower, the rower will probably have higher endurance and strength.
This study is false (2013)
I can assure you that any of you hockey players, basketball players or football players wouldnt even make it through a college wrestling practice warm up.
Joey Delamare (2013)
Baseball is anywhere from 30 to 50 in my opinion. Just because it is a popular sport does not mean that it takes much skill. Who made this list? 9, really!!!
WTF?! (2013)
This list is absolutely terrible. Badminton, I can confirm- is the easiest sport on the planet. And it sits at 30?!?! above distance running and water skiing?!?!?
Not only this- but really? the Track and Field selections are nearly backwards. I have done all of them, and I can confirm that distance/middle distance races are the most difficult events on the track. Do sprinters puke and pass out after their races?! I think not. Whoever made this list did not take into consideration the amount of pain, conditioning and skill required in swimming, running, and the more 'basic' sports.
Just because it doesn't need eye-hand coordination, doesn't make it easy.
Cathleen WTF?! (2019)
Yes! Finally, someone agrees with me about the difficulty of distance/mid-distance running! And swimming is very difficult too. :)
Brandon Raguz WTF?! (2014)
Distance/middle distance is the most difficult? No. Not at all. Try pole vaulting. and no not two or three practices but stick with it and its definitely the hardest track event and should be higher on this list. Pole vaulters use almost every single muscle in their body. They are some of the fastest, strongest and best athletes on the track. No doubt about that
Daniel's TightBottom Brandon Raguz (2020)
Running track is painful and mentally draining
SR Ruger (2013)
basketball over wrestling... SEROUSLY..?? THIS LIST A JOKE
Cmo303 (2013)
So badminton is more intense than sprint swimming?
Travis7 (2013)
I agree that motocross is very hard but a two hour Hare Scramble will kill you if you cant handle a 200-250 lb bike. I do wrestling and football also and a Hare Scramble beats them by a long shot.
Lizza Angelis Travis7 (2017)
When I say Motocross, I mean the entire spread of their sport, meaning hare scrambles, MX, SX, Arenacross, Endurocross, and every other type of MX that there is...
RowingIsForGayPeople Travis7 (2014)
Motocross requires endurance strength power speed agility flexibility hand-eye coordination nerve durability and analytic aptitude.
Jaketheman (2013)
Wrestling is the most demanding sport in my opionon, and I know it because I'm a wrestler, and it is very demanding on the body and takes full determination, drive, and mental toughness to go through it. Like my coach said, wrestling is hard, and supposed to be, or else not everybody would have joined wrestling because it was the easiest sport out there.
Jdoro66 (2013)
idk y ppl are disagreeing with boxing being number 1.. a lot of pol have no idea how physically demanding it is to do it. look up the training routines and how much a boxer has to prepare for just 1 fight.. they train 6 days a week jog ATLEAST 10 miles a day and a whole lot more.. try it yourself and you will deffinetly change your mind about it trust me..
Vance jdoro66 (2013)
I boxed for 13 years and was a 9 time golden glove champion, I loved it and it is very demanding but motocross is at least twice as demanding.
Floydmayweather vance (2013)
I love how everyone on threads like this is a champion or expert on every sport.... post pics of your golden gloves trophies..
James floydmayweather (2014)
9 time golden glove boxing champion and now your into motocross yeah? hahahahahaha these people
Lizza Angelis jdoro66 (2017)
I don't think they are necessarily disagreeing with Boxing's ranking, but rather an omission of a very physically demanding sport that for all rights should be in the top 10 if not 5.
Bri (2014)
I think rugby is the toughest sport. Getting tackled with no protection and at a high speed. Football stops after every play. With rugby, you really don't get any down time to recover. Rugby is a fast pase sport that needs a lot of endurance and strength. It's a mental and physical game.
XXcanadienrugbyplayerXx (2014)
How does football beat rugby its the same with no pads rugby players would kill football players with pads.
Hannah (2014)
They count fishing as a sport and not dancing...
Lizza Angelis Hannah (2017)
LOL Yep they count fishing as a demanding sport but leave out competitive dancing and motocross.
Little Lima Bean (2013)
I run 60+ miles per week as a female, weight lift for an hour two days a week, and perform workouts that few other sports can touch. Explain to me how 4 miles with a 2 minute break in between each, at 5:20min mile pace, after completing two 800m @ 2:28 pace, and then run a two mile cool-down. I have seen girls pass out at practice, vomit, begin to drool, and cry in the grass. These are individuals that you would consider 'used to it,' as well. Even after this, we have an assortment of push-ups, calisthenic, plyometric- etc routines to do that last up to 45 minutes. I would much rather do a 15 mile long run than this twice a week. It's a sport that you quickly need to learn how to kick the living sh*t out of yourself.
Chris Daigle (2013)
For all of the people who are writing about motocross, you are right to complain.
How about mountain biking? YOU are the engine powering the bike through ruts and uphill, then controlling it downhill and hitting the right line in berms.
David Jones-Richerson (2013)
seriously? anyone who has pole vaulted (more than 15 feet) knows that it takes a special breed of athlete to accomplish that feet. It takes the most strength, speed, consistency, power, explosive and controlled movements, conscious split second thoughts/decisions, and more guts than anything else out there. This should be in top five at least. No offense to other sports.
Catherine Helgey (2013)
Let's just all agree to never use this list as anything official ever
Jay (2013)
I do MMA, boxing, soccer, tennis, running and swim.... MMA is definitely number 1. Becoz it s a tough game physically, when u can t breath anymore and have to wrestle a 220 pounds guy on top of u or get up and get punched in the face while ure completely gazzed out. I vomit so many times... Tennis is second to me as i play very high level, matches are endless and there are no direct faults... U need to hit the ball 10 times before winning the point and mentally this is tough. Playing for fun isnt demanding as players generally put the pall in net and are slow paced. i realised how tough it was when my cousin a high class marathon guy played against me and after 2 h30 of me putting the ball left and right so that he can reach it and play it he told me stop... No more he couldnt play any more. His upper body was soar, joints completely out. It was 43 degrees celsius playing direct on the sun but this is how pros are playin everyday and believe me they play 4 hrs of hard hitting and left to right ... Joints get destroyed. Soccer is demanding but there are no real mental game which is completely different and u only play 1h 30 one game a week. Mental kills you.
Matty Jay (2013)
MMA is all out wrestling a 220lb guy. Motocross is wrestling a 220lb machine. Both should be at the top.
Frock Matty (2013)
I think mma should be a top sport.... But how can American football be in the top five.... I see so many fat football players... Name one fat motocross rider.....
Marion (2013)
Are you serious? Where is Equestrian? No, im not talking about the racing, im taking about Vaulting, polo, polocrosses, horseball, cross country, dressage, barrel racing, reining, show jumping, eventing? Where are these equine sports? Im a proud horse rider myself and let me tell you, every person who thinks horse riding is not a sport either is jealous of us or has only ever ridden trail ponies. Trail riding is NOT a sport, but show jumping and such IS. People say 'the horse does all the work', and that is not true. The horse moves and gives you access to freedom, the rider tells the horse to jump, stays on, trains the horse, communicates with their legs and reins, has to form a bond with the creature. I would love to put you on a 17.2 hh horse and going over an 8 non-cross jump course with the fences around 3-4ft high at the canter. Don't underestimate us, we are EQUESTRIANS, living our lives competing in the sport of kings.
Colin Marion (2013)
No offense, but all you need to be an equestrian is to be very small and have an interest in riding. I understand that it is not easy, but when you have spent 10's of thousands of dollars on a well bred horse that is capable of doing the jump, you just need to control it. Look at a sport like hockey and compare it to equestrian sports. Are there guys who are 6'6" (on skates) 230 pounds, skating along at 30 miles an hour, trying to level you into some glass boards. Are you (or your horse) balancing on a 5 mm thick blade? Do you risk getting hit in the face with a rock hard piece of rubber that is movie at 100 mph? There is no comparison. Horse riding may take skill but hockey takes skill, toughness, physical strength, aggression and endurance.
Kblocksdorf Colin (2013)
I can assure you Marion, that it is very unlikely any person with only an interest in riding would easily acquire the skill to make a well-bred horse worth thousands of dollars jump a course of jump--or an ill-bred horse worth fifty dollars, for that matter. Saying all you have to do is 'control it' is like telling someone who wants to play hockey is 'all you have to do is control the puck'. Much easier said than done. And, horseback riding is a very dangerous sport. A 2007 study from the University of Calgary found published in the American Journal of Surgery cites a previous study: "hospital admission rate associated with equestrian activity is .49/1000 hours of riding. The rate when motorcycle riding is merely .14/1000 hours." And, it's not rookie rides that are getting the worst injuries. It's experienced riders, who ride more difficult horses in more challenging situations. As to toughness, strength, and endurance and the rest of it--anyone who does distance racing, ride 'n' tie or eventing might take issue with your opinion. As Colin says, equestrian sports are drastically misunderstood.
L Colin (2013)
Look, I could argue with you, but it wouldn't even be worth it. Equestrian sports are drastically misunderstood. But no one asked you to compare it to hockey, especially when you have no riding experience. I've never played hockey, so I won't compare my riding to hockey. Fair? I am, however, laughing at your very skewed perspective of horse back riding.
Cathleen (2019)
Ridiculous. Distance running/cross country is so unbelievably hard, it should at least be in the top ten. Whoever ranked this has probably never woken up at 4 am to run 6-9 miles in all types of weather at a very fast, challenging pace or done a distance workout. With all due respect, how are sports like fencing, skateboarding, surfing, figure skating, baseball, tennis, and volleyball rated as more demanding than distance running? And sprinting is listed as more demanding than distance running too? I tried running both distance and sprints in track and field, and trust me, distance is way harder. I know that you have to be incredibly fast to be a sprinter, but you have to be kind of fast and you have to have amazing endurance to be a distance runner. In order to run at a certain fast pace at meets, we run 6-9 miles at practice to develop our speed. Remake this list after you go through one of my cross country practices, please!
Allee (2014)
I strongly disagree with this website for many reasons. A. The top sports are all really popular sports. Those are basically the ONLY sports that get recognized and the are not even remotely challenging. As a swimmer I come home from practice and I can barley move my legs and it hurts to lift my arm up to eat. I am a 14 and swim 7000 yards a day with 30 minutes of mental training on Mondays and core and cardio on Tuesdays. I also just got done with an OLYMPIC WORLD RECORD HOLDER workout. Not only is our practices hard but we have to push ourselves to the limit in every race for 3 days straight. We swim about 10 events and by the end I can barely move. In baseball you basically stand around the whole time waiting for the ball to come to u and when it does you quickly throw it and you basically done for the rest of the inning. Then you sit around and wait to bat and when you do bat it takes very little strength to hit the ball and quickly run to the base in like 5 seconds. Don't even get me started on football. You do a 10 second play and you rest for 30. No tell me how that's a sport? You don't really have to try at all. And basketball? I did basket ball for 2 years and I have to say that yes it is challenging but not even close to where swimming is. You just run around the court for a while and try to shoot a basket. I would just really appreciate if espn would recognize other sports than the easier ones in the world. Because seriously I am done with espn because they only show football and basketball and base ball and don't care about the other 2 billion other athletes out there.
Noodle (2014)
I strongly disagree with wrestling being placed below basketball and football. Wrestling may be 6 minutes and not 48, but it is nonstop full contact that demands extreme conditioning and dedication. Wrestling also involves managing weight, something almost every other does not.
Asiabear (2014)
I think someone forgot about rock climbing which may just be one of the most dangerous and hardest sports out there
Han Villarr (2013)
its sad how rowing is in such a low rank. From all the sports I've done, Crew is over the top in demand of effort and intensity to the point where after a race or even a after practice piece you can barely breath and standing is in the rank of impossible. The one sport where the quote "All it takes is all you got" makes perfect sense. and the thing is, not everyone that has tried the sport have given their all. You choose how much effort to put, you choose how much pain to take throughout a piece, of course your couch( or cox ) are there to push you, and to make you give your 100%, but they don't have a way to see how much you are putting on the table. Its your choice how fast you want to be, you have to be mentally and physically strong and have a touch of craziness to go through what a rower that puts 100% do. Its not a game, but it does has it fun moments and its deffinitly the best experience that I had been through and the also one of the best team sport since you really have to get know each other.During a race, all you have to think is to put your everything in everysingle stroke, reach the point where you feel that this your last stroke and that you cant go on anymore but yet you manage to take another stroke and then another without letting off the power applied. Just so at the last part lf the race its only your heart and desire to win that pushes you to the finish line. Rowing deserves more respect than what it gets. Its sad, kids on my school don't care about our rowing team, even after finishing 8th overall in nationals, yet we get no support or recognition. But ofcourse the football team does, the team that won less than half their games. Smh
Cathleen Han Villarr (2019)
I feel your pain! My friend does crew and is always so sore from practice and she's really strong. I'm a cross country runner and our team has the #10 most titles in the country and is #1 in the state, and yet nobody cares.
Rower (2013)
OMG, this list must have been written by a kid. Or an ignorant american. How can you ask for Hand Eye coordination while Sports like soccer are listed?! Lol Baseball is totally sklilless. I learned to Play it well in some months, you neither need endurance nor strengths. Its the Sport with the highest rate of obese Player. Stupid stupid stupid stupid....
The real deal (2013)
Complete rubbish, try surfing and being really god at it
Jason (2013)
Because motocross you maintain a heartbeat of over 250x a minute and more times than not this is for over 25 minutes....not to mention there is a piece of machinery that weighs over 250lbs that ur manhandling..the protection gear alone isn't that friendly either. Try it sometime
Chris (2013)
I feel that because not many people row/watch rowing they have no idea how demanding it is. I mean it comes after soccer (which is wayyyyy too high up there).
A guy (2013)
It's so funny seeing people saying that their sport is the hardest I think ESPN know what they are talking about so grow up and take into what it is saying they test on durability. a lot of sports like boxing require you to get hit on purpose. Other sports you don't even get touched or have someone in the ring that had been trained like or better than you.
H2O + Determination A guy (2013)
fear factor is not the same as athletic.
DickButt (2013)
This list was put together by people who obviously know what they're talking about, so how about everyone stop complaining. There were clearly better minds than yours working on this list.
Avis tirrell (2018)
And cheerleading is a sport.
Avis tirrell (2018)
How come cheerleading is number 52? It is very demanding. You need to be flexible and able to deal with drama.
Emma (2017)
I believe that there is a difference between dangerous and challenging. Yes Gymnastics and Figure skating are difficult to learn AT FIRST, but over time it gets easier and easier. My personal list would be.
1:Any martial art
2:Rugby
3:Water polo
4:motocross
5:swimming
6:cross country
7: rowing
Nick Landry (2015)
I am in boxing, hockey, and motocross, and I can tell you straight up that motocross is by far the easiest of the three. If you're actually aware of your surroundings, you won't get injured in it, because after 5 years and 26 wins, I've never been injured in motocross. I joined motocross as a break from my other two sports, hockey and boxing, which are both every demanding.
David G. (2014)
During the 80's I read many university kinesiology department reports concerning "most physically demanding sports" and Professional MOTOCROSS and SOCCER came up as #1 and #2 most often. Now with MMA and TRIATHALONS (IRON MAN), etc I bet Motocross (at Pro Level) is still in the top 5. A good way to tell if a sport (motor or not) is very physically demanding is to see if any/many of its participants are over the age of about 30. I often see many Tri-Athletes over even 40 years of age......not Pro Motocross, Pro Soccer, Pro Tennis, Pro Swimming, Pro Boxing, etc. Overall the LIST is very poorly put together. It should state whether it includes just professional athletes (best in the world at each sport) or just regular participants. Motocross is a MOTOR SPORT not a regular sport like tennis. But of all professional athletes I bet the Pro Motocross riders would come out near the top in a highly ranked university study. Why so many readers are ignorant about Motocross is that very few people are exposed to the sport or ever get to ride a real motocross bike on a global basis. Today more than ever before, Motocross is a ultra-demanding and ultra competitive sport with millions of dollars invested at all levels, from privateers to factory sponsored teams. Very few readers have been at a true PROFESSIONAL (regular pay check) level in any sport. Many of the sports listed are
ThisListIsStupid (2014)
Rowing 39th and American football 3rd!!!! Did the person who wrote this pull sports out of a hat?
Hi (2014)
Stupid list, how does swimming come in at 45? None of u morons realise how hard competitive swimming can be
Jake (2014)
Whoever made this are idiots. Swimming is by far top ten hardest
Jesus (2013)
why is gymnastics so low? it's the sport that requires most physical ability, which is why the shelf life for women is so short. and why is softball above soccer?
Rosie (2013)
This is so wrong obviously the people who made this have never done most of these sports especially Nordic skiing!
Julie (2013)
swimming is the hardest sport!!!!!!!! and thats fact this thing is so freakin wrong!!!!!
L (2013)
Whoever decided 'Equestrian' should be lumped together at #54 is completely ignorant
GINGERoCOM (2013)
Motocross should be number one on this list because it is way not demanding than all the other sports. I race 90 minute race and a kid I race with is a national champion and he can race a 90 minute race eat a peer bar and drink a Gatorade then 15 minutes later he is back on the bike and lined up for the next 90 minute race.
Max (2013)
I have participated in almost every sport on this list. I've played tennis, ran cross country, played soccer, baseball, basketball, football, ive biked 3000 miles across the US in 10 days, ive even done an ultra marathon in death valley. The ultra marathon in Death Valley was hard, but about 6 years ago I started rowing. I can tell you that having rowing at 39 on this list is a discrase. I've seen people pass out, vomit, and I know one young man who died rowing. I would like to see any other sport on this list cause a person to push the self so far that they passed out and died.
Colin Max (2013)
A soccer player died within the last few years from exhaustion while on the field.
Adam (2013)
You guys are all commenting idiotic things. You are saying your sport is much harder while going into detail about the hardest level of it and then putting down the other sport by explaining the basics! Look at both sports at the competitive level THEN comment!
Liz Adam (2013)
Just saying i was on a novice high school rowing team which is basically the lowest level where you actually compete/actually counts as doing the sport, and it was still brutal. I'm pretty sure people in their first year of competitive soccer or baseball can't say they've finished their first-ever competition barley able to breath with every muscle in their body feeling like its on fire.
Austin (2020)
Lmao i think its hilarious watching how ignorant people can be, how people think its only a twist of a throttle and nothing more then that. I've done football, track and wrestling. I've done some heavy cardio workouts in the army with full kit on. Motocross is by far the most demanding sport I've ever done. If you disagree hop on a race bike on a real motocross track and hit every jump and go as fast as you can the whole way. Then after one lap of sprinting pinned hitting every jump. Id like to see you ignorant people go for another lap at the same rate. Bet y'all would stop for a breather and complain about arm pump. And in a race is so much worse hanging on for dear life because you are fatigued after 5 to 6 laps.
Gavin (2020)
I've played a lot of threes sports and wrestling should be second
Pepijn de Groot (2020)
Who made this list, rowing is at least top 3, a 3-year-old could come up with a better list.
Sj (2020)
Motocross would be number 1. Putting you life on the line at the same time pushing your whole body to the absolute limit. No comparison
Sj (2020)
Motocross would be number 1. And your life on the line At the same time while pushing your body to the limit. No comparison.
David J (2020)
This list is ridiculous.
Duck (2019)
Obviously, the writers have never tried to play water polo. Try sprinting up and down a pool with a gorilla trying to rip off your speedo and still have the capacity to know where all of your teammates and the opponents are, while making precision passes and shots.
Kenneth Lloyd Spitzer (2018)
This list is a Joke, Basketball is ranking higher in durability than wrestling or martial arts??? This is a sport where they call a foul for slapping an opponents wrist lol. Wrestling is #1 not even close with MMA #2.
Aerialist (2018)
Aerial arts (silks, lyra, etc.) should be somewhere on this list. Silks/lyra often feel practically like medieval torture devices, and the strength and endurance required to complete routines on them (especially when the wind is blowing) is truly incredible.
Rob Admin Aerialist (2018)
Is it a sport?
Komoriblues (2017)
You have bowling on here and no motocross? ? Nothing against bowlers, but whoever made this list immediately discredits their article neglecting this sport. Unbelievable.
Zen cat (2017)
I've done boxing training and my god it is exhausting. Throw a few punches and take a few punches and you are sweating all over. Plus, you are norrmally indoors in a stuffy environment.
Jason Williams (2017)
Water Polo being out of the Top10 isn't just stupid, it's offensive.
Ben (2017)
Looks like someone forgot Australia and AFL
Chloe Czapla (2017)
There is NO WAY that gymnastics is eigth on the list. It should be second or first. In almost any sport you can go and try to do it and you won't be the best, but you'll do it. You can't just go into gymnastics and say "Oh I'm just going to do a backflip on a beam" it takes YEARS OF PRACTICE. THIS LIST IS SOOOOOO INACCURATE
Dale (2017)
Motocross and also endurance on motorbikes are by far the most physically and mentally tough things I've ever done I'm twelve and I race both motocross and endurance just the other day at an endurance race I did 160 kms/100 miles of intense tight bush trails in under 3 hours. The weekend before that I raced a motocross race 5 laps a race 4 races through deep mud on an 85cc I'd like to see a wrestler try either
Bloop (2017)
No one has even mentioned sailing besides me.
Before a troll tries to bust me go sail a moth or an americas cup boat. Or a Volvo Ocean race yacht.
And before you say that was easy, dinghy sailing can keep you on the water racing for eight hours straight, each race can be over an hour long with hardly any breaks in between since you are always trying to predict and plan the next race, and ocean racing is non stop action before you get an hour or two of sleep, for days, or weeks.
Neil (2016)
What absolute rubbish this list is, try looking at a scientific study on this subject, to Put American football above Rugby is just pure vanity ! Boxing and Martial Arts are the top two, this just looks like someone's list of preferred sports, lets get real
Nick Carson (2016)
Wrestling is much more demanding than Basketball. Basketball players pretend they're hurt to draw a penalty. Wrestlers pretend they aren't hurt so they can compete. My coach won nationals with 2 torn meniscus's. Kurt Angle got a gold medal with a broken neck. Lebron got carried off the court with a cramp.
Whocares (2016)
You all need to get a life and stop arguing about your stupid sports unless you know the other person who cares your little girl egos won't be hurt now all of your points about either don't compare to different sports such as speed is over doubled by multiple sports on that list and endurance is beat by things on that list now go back working at McDonald's and driving your rusty 1994 Pontiac grand Prix
Kaitlyn arena (2016)
I played football than I did gymnastics all the way gymnastics is much harder than any other sport and I'm not just saying this cuz I like gymnastics I actually hate it I now do lacrosse but gymnastics is very very hard
Lucas Graham (2016)
Track and field distance is only number 40? Handball is above it?
RandomPERSON (2016)
why is parkour not on this list
ETC L.L. (2016)
Motocross/Supercross are both incredibly physically demanding, requiring a racer to keep a continuous heart rate in the 180-190 bpm for 30 min straight- at a higher rate and for a longer consistent duration than any other sport listed. The physical strength to handle the bike, overall body dexterity and constant split second decisions combined with the penalty of failure to complete an obstacle (often equals broken bones, torn tendons and yearly numbers accounted in crippling and death) make this far and away the most demanding sport. Do your homework.
Ishant sharma (2016)
You missed the world's second most popular sport "cricket"
Haha great research
Misael (2016)
You guys are dumb saying motocross beats all sports most of you guys probably think boxing is easy well why don't you go step in the ring and get beat up you think boxing is just fighting think about the training you have to do and run, jump rope, spar, shadow box, speed bag, pads, bags everything. Ik because I box and it is a extremely hard sport I would like to see most of you try and if someone says I used to box but motocross is harder BS then you must have been bad and you wanna know why cause it's hard
Joe Smith (2016)
I'm going to say that swimming requires the most time commitment of any sport on this list. I have 5 hours of extremely strenuous practice every day, which includes both swimming and lifting weights. In terms of physical demand. Swimming definitely ranks with motocross. Swimming uses every single muscle in the body and involves oxygen deprivation, so muscles tire out even faster. The sport literally pushes you to your physical limit. Motocross is more physically comparable to distance swimming as it sounds more like endurance strength rather than explosiveness.
Joe Smith (2016)
Um, swimming?
Josh Downing (2016)
Everybody is arguing wrestling vs. MX but how in the hell is basketball even in the top ten??
Hayden Wittman (2015)
How the hell is rowing 39?!?!
Matt (2015)
They grouped racquetball and squash together as one sport what a rubbish list
Casey K (2015)
Rugby is below American Football, much less TENNIS? This must be a joke. Rugby is Football but w/o pads and w/o really any stoppages throughout the 80 min. game. The ONLY time the game stops is if someone is seriously hurt, a penalty, or if the ball goes out. I might be biased being a college rugby player myself, but I originally played soccer for 14 years; rugby is MUCH more intense, both physically and mentally. The vast majority of Americans need to stop underestimating rugby.
McCoy (2015)
paintball is superior
Tristun Reeves (2015)
Wrestling is hands down harder than any of those sports especially basketball.
Emily (2015)
is this competitive cheer they studied or wimpy cheerleaders on the side of highschool football games?
Rob Admin emily (2015)
no one was "studied" - experts rated each sport to get list list
Shuttlecocker (2015)
You absolutely must try the real Badminton. Not the outdoor garden variety 'goodminton' but the real indoor competitive 'Bad'minton. It's a breed apart from the easy fun garden game most people are familiar with. In fact you can take your 'toy' grade equipment and either hang it up in the toddlers room or get your shovel out and bury it in the backyard where you used to play it. Now you are a truly reborn and skilled Badminton warrior. Besides, the health benefits are amazingly obvious as well. It's been documented that if you so indulge for two hours a day a couple of days a week, your overall longevity will be extended for a minimum of two years. That's just from the consistent cardio exercise itself, but you must break a sweat. J U S T try it!
Look around for where they play it indoors seriously. It's worth a drive.
Ranked 30 on this list...seriously? Really? Fastest smash or kill shot now is up to 306 mph (493 kph) and its in the Guinness book of world records. Knowledge is priceless, half knowledge is dangerous. Check it out.
Jake (2015)
This might be the most biased incorrect list ive ever seen. Swimming is top 3 for most demanding sports and if you don't believe me then you should try training for races for a week. Its much harder then football basketball, wrestling ( I've done them all) the shape you have to be in is insane
Alvin Mullen (2015)
How can you believe any list that says american football and baseball, where more than half the time is spent standing around, is more strenuous than distance cycling.
Robert Halka (2015)
Worlds most biast list, If the Americans aren't good in a sport they stop playing it and it drops in the list. Skateboarding Is above Weight lifting !?!
Table tennis Is above fencing In the Olymipcs The tip of a Fencing sword (any type) is the second fastest object in the Olypmics the first is the bullet.
I could name a lot more, bit agin there is no pout this list is biast.
Ocin Illenavotnam (2015)
I don't understand why water polo is so low. It is the most demanding sport. You basically sprint up and down a pool for an hour fighting people while you do it, and when you do get to stop swimming, you have to tread water and keep other people from putting you under water because the pool is too deep to stand. There is no way american football and basketball are harder. I've played all three and water polo is definitely the toughest. I haven't played any other sports except for swimming but i'm confident water polo is harder.
Tim gilbert (2015)
Wrestling beats all, even if you were a wrestler. You haven't been good enough to win state and compete at nationals or a world level. A wrestler can learn how to do motor road faster then someone could compete at a high lvl of wrestling
Reece Coleman (2015)
gymnastics is by far the hardest sport in the world. try it someday and you'll realize it should never be at #8 on the charts.....
Tom (2015)
Why isn't rugby #2? It's gotta be at least in front of baseball let alone american football.
Steven Kent (2015)
I've played almost every sport and I can say that water polo is the most physically demanding. After just a few minutes of a game, I already am more tired then almost every other sport there is. It is well ahead of many of the top-ranked sports on that list
HonestlyHonest (2015)
Crew is thirty nine??? Obviously the author did little research and had no experience.
Caleb Dickson (2015)
How is gymnastics, basketball, tennis, and soccer listed above rugby? I think rugby is the toughest sport on this earth. It has as much running as soccer, you have to be just as good at ball handling as basketball players, and don't even compare tennis. There is a reason so many old people play tennis. Rugby is all of these things plus you get hit almost every run. And the scrums and rucks make it even harder. If the scrum collapses you have a high chance of dying or breaking a neck. And rucks are brutal because it turns into a wresting match and also people throw punches in the ruck. So I don't know if you are trying to be ironic by putting these sports above rugby, but watch one game of union and you will see that it is simply brutal
Bruh (2015)
BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH! WHERE'S MOTORCROSS?!?!?!
Gibbydubbydoobdab (2015)
I think you forgot motocross. Should easily be top 3 if not number 1
Disguy (2015)
I can mostly agree with this list, but then again I haven't tried many of the sports. I do think squash/racquetball should be listed as harder than field hockey and figure skating
Stefani (2015)
cross country& distance track should b in top 10 not #40
Alex (2015)
I don't even think there should be a debate over a specific form of motor sport being higher on the list, just motor sport in general should be top 5 - no question. Especially when you consider motor sport encumbers everything from Motocross to F1 to Red Bull Air Race. F1 for instance - average heart rate exceeding 80% of max, which is similar to a marathon runner's when crossing the finish line, but over the entire race duration which lasts close to two hours. Such a heart rate gives you an idea of the strain both mentally and physically it puts the drivers under. But such a heart rate is necessary for what the sport essentially is - precisely controlling a hypersensitive vehicle, with minimal to no driving aids or things like assisted steering or assisted braking, at speeds generating G-forces experienced only in fighter aircraft, space craft and other forms of motor sport and doing all this whilst maintaining 100% UNBROKEN concentration for the entire close to two hour race. That last bit is the most fascinating. Really on that basis alone motor sport should be at the top of this list. And there is much strength training involved as well - for instance turning an unassisted steering wheel at multiple G's multiple times per lap, over multiple laps for an hour and a half requires strength. Obviously not as much as say boxing but certainly vastly more than people realise. And that's only describing what the drivers have to do. There's an unrivalled (compared to other sports) amount of technology and precision planning going on back in the pits over a race weekend. And it is precision planning, not only of race tactics but car set up. If you take everything into account there really is no other sport which asks so much of it's participants over such a long period of time. All you have to do is google say 'F1 driver fitness' and have a read. Go on, humour yourself. And remember most forms of motor sport don't require much less than F1 drivers. I also think gymnastics and especially figure skating should be much higher also.
Tic Tac (2015)
breakdance is the single most complex sport. most people dont even get close to a basic level!
Mi (2014)
Motocross is THE most demanding. It is just unknown from the community.
Finn (2014)
how is rugby not in the same league as american football?
Sasha Cooke (2014)
While any list is arbitrary and highly subjective, the fact that squash and racketball are listed as if they are identical shows that the compilers of this list know nothing about either of them. Why then would we be interested in the rest of their selections?
Ron (2014)
I agree with Boxing being number 1.Then it should be 2. Wrestling 3.Hockey 4.Football/Rugby. I wrestled, played Football, and Rugby. Rugby in my OPINION is harder than Football, but both are very intense. Wrestling was the hardest sport I have ever done. Along with boxing you need to cut weight for 6 to 7 months of the year. There is no hiding in Wrestling. Your one on one with your opponent and any mistake you make can be seen. It is also a very physical sport during matches and practice. You are using every muscle in your body and every portion of your brain. There rarely is any rest. I have seen Football players come in and try to keep up at practice, and they just simply couldn't do it. Soccer should also be higher up. It should be right above basketball.
Ferez S. Nallaseth, PhD (2014)
Athletes at the top levels of any sport would be good at other sports
especially if they are not more complicated in sensory-motor functions
than their own (i.e. Runners vs Racket Athletes). The relevant question,
though is whether their sport of Choice tests their full Athletic Potential. As far as the primacy of tennis goes, I would respectfully suggest to Pete Sampras that he follow the 2 links below and he will find that in head to head competitions the North American Squash Champion Sharif Khan proved himself to be the better Racket Athlete i.e. the Champion in 3 of 4 years of the CBS Tournament World Rackets / Racketmaster's Tournament moderated by Tony Trabert orPat Summerall etc, were held (in the 1970s and 1980s). The competitors were : (1) John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Guillermo Vilas - Tennis top 4), (2) Marty Hogan, (Racquetball, WC, others), (3) Fleming Delfs (Badminton, WC, others), (4) Danny Seemiller (Table Tennis, US National Ch). Ignoring the 3 dimensional stroke production and the lethal combination of walls in the corners in Squash, the ball spins off over 13surfaces (walls, edges, nicks, corners, court and racket) - in tennis the ball spins off over 2 surfaces (racket and court)! I also have reservations with (Top Ten) ESPN's analyses of the most rigorous Sports that Challenge Forbes Conclusions on Squash - which themselves have inbuilt weaknesses,but they have the advantage of a reasonable Scientific basis rather than a popularity contest of the most easily detected moves. It is not necessarily more representative nor more thorough an analysis if more sports and parameters are included which only make interpretation of data more complicated. Many of these are comparisons of apples and oranges. For example lets compare racketwork in e.g. badminton or tennis with getting punched in boxing. How do you control for the incredibly well coordinated racket control of Racket Athletes under conditions of exhaustion with that of throwing a left hook under possibly similar conditions? The conditioning required to take a 'hit'/punched with that required for the relentless, immediate and continuous footwork/racketwork once the Shuttlecock/tennis ball are in play with the punch/counterpunch and the defensive backpeddling into the corners - with all the rest time that it buys. Finally the 17 World Record Holder in Distance Running the Australian Ron Clarke, who was almost certainly fitter than any of the Athletes you have chosen, was only a Club Level (Average) Squash Player. Could there be dimensions that have escaped ESPN? Yes Forbes could expand its analyses but the primacy and healthiness (ratios of workout benefits/injury) of Squash have been independently known by NASA (for its Astronauts) as well as in the Analyses of Soccer by various Soccer Federations. So Forbes cannot be far off the mark!
Brian (2014)
In motocross they eat calories to gain muscle. And yes some do run 3 miles a day. But just because they dont spit into a cup doesnt mean its not harder than wrestling
Stone (2014)
The National Athletic Health Institute in Inglewood, California tested several professional motocross racers in September 1979 as part of a comparative study of the cardio-vascular, muscle endurance, and flexibility fitness of athletes from various disciplines. Athletes from track, American football, pro basketball and soccer were tested, among others. As a group, the motocross riders tested to a higher overall fitness level than any group tested. Motocross racers get their heart rate up to around 180 to 190 beats per minute and hold it there for about 35 minutes. These riders do this twice per day (original article appeared in Cycle magazine in early 1980). A subsequent study by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Performance Complex in 2002 reconfirmed the result with more recent motocross racers. The intense physical demand of motocross derives from the fact that the racer of the bike must keep complete control of a 200 lb (91 kg) or heavier bike, while also maintaining their top speed throughout the race.
Swimmer girl (2014)
Really? Football is #3?!? I strongly disagree with this sight and not just because swimming isn't higher. I don't think this is very accurate. There are so many reasons why that I don't. Want to explains them all. I would just strongly appreciate it if espn would notice something other than footfall and basketball and sometimes baseball. There are other sports out there
That are so entertaining and exciting to watch and EXTREMLY hard to play that get no recongnition at ALL!! I am a swimmer and let me just tell you that it is at least in the top 10 or 20.
__h__a_n_n__a__ on instagram (2014)
Equestrianism should be in the top 3 as well as gymnastics. I have seen my friends practice gymnastics at SCHOOL without most of the resources, and it's amazing, both sports, once you achieve something. I'd like to see you in front of a 3 foot jump for the first time.
WEN (2014)
This list has no credibility when it includes baseball and even softball (hahaha) in the top ten and the list ignores altogether 1,3 or 4 wall handball which is one of the most strenuous sports there is.
Robyn (2014)
How the hell did fishing make this list and synchronised swimming isn't even included . If should be top 10!!!
Gabe Vialpando (2014)
How is auto racing number 32!?!
JosephS (2014)
I can not believe that gymnastics is #8! Gymnastics is by far the HARDEST sport in the world. The practices are brutal. I can not tell you how many times I, or someone else, has cried during conditioning. Then do you think our coaches stop? No. They don't, they will just tell you, "You gain muscle by getting to muscle failure, but, you get even more by working out once you are at muscle failure.". This has happened to me many times. Also rips. Most people don't know what a rip is. Well I am going to tell you. A rip is something that gymnasts call. It is when the skin on your hand is ripped off by the bar. This happens SO many times to me. Even when you get a rip, the coaches make you get back up on the bar. Not only is it physically demanding and painful it is also very mental. It is EXTREMELY scary to do a double back or a flyaway. Also this sport is all year round. You get no break. I can not tell you how many times I have missed out of something social because I had gymnastics. Let me just tell you my schedule, I go to school, get in the car and start my homework, change in the car, go to gymnastics for 4 hours, come home at 9, eat, take a shower, start on homework, go to sleep, wake up at 5 to finish homework, then take a shower and go to school. Every single day. And do you think I am energized after gymnastics? Or at school. No, I am tired and beat up. And you think that football and basketball are harder? Really? I have many basketball and football players at my school. When we had the push-up test in seventh grade, do you know how many they did? 30 push-ups at the most and then they were tired. Do you know how many I did? 135. They all asked me how I did so many, and do you know what my answer was? "Gymnastics.". That was it. Gymnastics had gotten me that strong, not easily. Also just how you say that you participate in the sport. You don't "play" gymnastics. You do gymnastics because it isn't a game. But, football, basketball. etc. you play. Because it is a game. It is a simple, easy, game. No sport is harder than gymnastics and I am very disappointed with this list.
MotoMike JosephS (2014)
Just saying, when we did our gimpy little gymnastic electives in grade 10, myself and a few of the more fit members of my class we able to do a double backflip easily enough (not with out failures and somehow a broken wrist of course).
Jarrod Jones (2014)
This is a heavily biased list...
CollegeAthlete (2014)
This is not correct at all. Honestly whoever wrote this doesn't understand the definition of athleticism. Certainly Wrestling, Rowing and other such sports that require continuous full body engagement require more athleticism than American Football and Tennis... seriously guys? You should work on actually trying some unusual sports before writing an article holding the most popular ones as more difficult. It simply isn't true.
KTropper (2014)
Has a speed skater, it is harder that ice hockey. It is a lot more demanding that ice hockey, because the technique it is a lot different. Got to watch to see that I am talking about.
Runner (2014)
Who ever wrote this is clearly not a runner. Middle distance at the bottom of the list? Every track athlete knows the heart and sole of a team is in the mid distance because they continually kill themselves sprinting long distances EVERYDAY.
DERS (2014)
I challenge all of you motocross hotshots to not eat or drink ANYTHING for 3 days then hop on your toy bike and tell me how you feel.
Bob (2014)
Hahaha wrestling should be way above football, and basketball.
Btm (2014)
Put in consideration that since motocross isn't sponsored by ESPN it will not be on this list.
T14dan (2014)
This chart is such a joke. Tennis scored a 3/10 on nerves. Are you kidding me? It's just you out there with no one to back you up and millions of dollars for a few shots that determine a match. It also scored lower than football on strategy. The individuals who compete tennis aren't drones who are told what to do by a coach. They have to figure out their opponent. Coaching is illegal during a match. this is ridiculous. Tennis should be 2, behind boxing. Espn inflated popular american sports just to make a list people would agree with.
Phil (2014)
Its really impossible to compare the difficulty of sports objectively. All the different sports include unique challenges that only the athletes competing and training in them at a highly competitive level can understand. For example, the hardest sports Ive done competitively are ice hockey and wrestling. Ive ridden motocross bikes my whole life, and would never say its harder than 60 minutes of ice hockey. HOWEVER, ive never raced competitively, so I cant objectively compare it to ice hockey. I can see how motocross would be incredibly challenging. But there are different factors that have to be considered. I.e, while a highly trained, ultra fit motocross rider could compete in a 30-40 minute race at close to 100% the whole time, that same individual could not participate in a wrestling match at that level for 30-40 minutes. That's why wrestling matches are so short. Long distance cyclers on the other will ride for hours and often several hundred miles in a day. But they have to pace themselves. Swimmers have to pace themselves in the same way. I have to add this though . . . as far as nerve goes, nothing comes close to riding a bull! If you have never been up close to a 1800lb animal that full of fury that can throw its weight around so violently and explosevely, you simply have no clue what its like. Absolutely insane. I have never ridden a bull and never will. I would much rather go head to head with clay Matthews on a football field. What differentiates bull riding from any other sport listed is that you have ZERO control over what's happening. You control where you run in a football game, who you hit in a hockey game, developing skill and how you ride your motocross bike. But you will not control a bull. If the bull decides it wants to kill you, it will kill you. Not saying bull riding takes the most skill, or endurance, or strength. But it takes balls of steel
Mike (2014)
You guys all need to realize that every sport is demanding. IMO wrestling and motocross are the most demanding. I have wrestled, raced and played hockey for most of my life. I quit both sports for motocross last year. Everyday I run 5 miles and bicycle for 10 on top of lifting and on bike training. The main reason why motocross is not on this list is probably because most people never get a chance to actually ride a real track and experience it.
Chris Daigle (2014)
Also missing is cyclocross. Thank goodness most races are not longer. It requires the fitness of a runner, steeplechase runner AND a cyclist, the handling skills of a mountain biker, and every bit of grit you can muster.
Cyclocross is a timed event where you have a hard pack or paved section, a soft and probably muddy section, then a section where you have to dismount and carry the bike over barricades.
Wht (2014)
this was obviously written by a man.
Avi (2014)
Ha ha motocross are not athletic get a soccer player or a football player to run 1 mile I bet you the motor cosplayer would not even come close to their times. People that think motorcross is athletic read the dictionary
Leftsidestrongside (2014)
I'm a softball player. Yeah, anyone who can hit and throw a ball can play. But can they play at a competitive level? Absolutely not. If you can hit a 68-72 mph (95-105mph in baseball) ball at 43 feet that curves in or out, drops or rises, then that's competitive. Please go find a girl that can throw those pitches at 65+ and try to hit the ball. I guarantee you'll have more respect for the sport. If you're at the church league or wreck ball leave, are you kidding me? Do you really think that's hard? No. That's more for fun. At the professional and collegiate levels, it requires an extreme determination to play this sport. If you don't have it, you'll burn out. Fast. College athletes not only have class, they have 4-6 hour practices on school days and every other day of the week. Some practices even go until 11:30 at night with weights at 5am the next morning. You're gonna tell me that's not demanding? Get outta here. Not only do they have to keep up their grades and well being, but they have to perform. We have to field balls coming off of the bat at speeds of 70+mph. Or the occasional play where you have to field the ball on the short hop and throw it while running. If you don't field the ball with the proper mechanics, and yes, there are crucial mechanics to fielding, hitting, and throwing, then you WILL get busted in the face. You will get your eye laid open or lose a few teeth. Especially playing a corner in the infield. Or pitcher. And diving? If you don't dive, then you might as well get off the field. We dive 30+ times every practice. On dirt. And it isn't soft dirt, it has rocks, gravel, and grit on it. It'll tear you up. People have died playing softball or baseball, just like any other sport. But instead of a terrible car crash, you die from getting hit in the temple with a ball. Just a ball. Can you imagine? That one ball just ended your life. It's a dangerous sport, folks. And I've seen many girls get carried off in a stretcher on the field. The ambulance would literally have to drive on the field to pick them up because they were either knocked out or couldn't move. Softball wasn't in the Olympics for no reason people. Yes, they got taken out, but for being "too American". This sport, just like baseball, demands a lot out of an athlete. You have to be conditioned, you have to be powerful, and you have to be quick. There are women out there that can hit the ball and be at first base in 2 seconds. Yes, 2 mere seconds. That means the fielder must catch the ball and get rid of it in just 1 second. Can you catch something and make an accurate throw to a target that fast? Probably not. Can you realize when a girl is about to bunt the ball? Probably not. Because if you don't realize it, and she's fast? She's safe every time. Or if she pretends like she's gonna bunt the ball and pulls back while you're running full speed at her to field it, and she hits it down your throat. Can you field that? Ha, I would like to you try. There's so many strategies for so many scenarios in this sport. Like cut relays from the outfield. A girl has to throw the ball on a line and accurately to the catcher. All the way from the fence in the outfield. The runner is running as fast as they possibly can, so there is little time for error. There's double plays, there's trick plays, there's 1st and 3rd plays, it all gets tricky. And there's also the play where the catcher has to throw out a girl that's stealing a base. And there's also something called a delayed steal where the runner can run as the ball is being thrown back to the pitcher. Granted, the girl has to be fast, but it also puts pressure on the pitcher to make an accurate throw. While under pressure, it's not always that easy. My sister had 5 surgeries before she was 22 because of the physical stress this sport put on her body. She was a pitcher, and she was throwing 68 mph from the time that she was 13. Five surgeries just because of a sport. Every sport has their difficulties and demands, I get that. But don't hate on this sport if you don't even know what it takes to be competitive at it. That's ignorance at it's finest.
Maxmawer (2014)
motorcross is about 35 min of ragging a bike around corners whipping over massive triples through ruts and also different ground surfaces and then louds of people behind and infront of you but enduro can be up to 3 hours of riding as hard as ou can though mud rock ruts and many other things enduro x is the hardest in my opion
Maxmawer (2014)
i think its enduro and i dont even do it i do motorcross
Justiono (2014)
this list is bad. First off how is swimming or water polo not even in the top 10. In my opinion the toughest sports at school would be swimming and Im not even a swimmer (i did it when I was younger) and how did football, basketball, and ice hockey beat wrestling. I have guys on my wrestling team who play football and they tell me football is a joke compared to wrestling practice. We had basketball players come in that think wrestling would be easier but they go back to basketball 1 week later. And like football, I have a teammate that plays ice hockey along with wrestling and he says ice hockey is hard but no where near wrestling
Grace (2014)
Ranking Equestrian 54? Seriously? Then these "experts" have no clue what it means to be a professional advanced equestrian.
Caoimhe (2014)
Rowing should be so much higher in that list.
Motoxer115 (2014)
Wrestling does look tough but you still get a break very often when a ref stops you, mx is AT LEAST 15+ minutes, 30 mins plus two laps in the pro class..... Ever wrestle an opponent for 30 mins non stop? Let alone 39 other opponents..... Football pfttt whatever, those fatsos run 50 yards and then stop, go to the side line and get oxygen ??? Basketball and soccer run a full court (not easy) but still get way too many breaks and teams do the work not one guy for himself. Baseball? What ever.....they stand there most of the game. Golf? If you think golf is a tough sport you need to work out more. I give triathlon guys a nod, that looks tough, I raced a mountain bike race, that was hard but mostly cardio hard. Here's how I explain mx...... Climb a latter but skip every other rung then jump off the top, do that ten times a lap while someone shakes the latter and carry dumb bells in your hand while your doing it, oh and the latter gets a foot taller each lap, on the last lap when you jump off the top.... Don't drop the dumbells, we call that crashing. Ps .....we dont wear spandex
Matt (2014)
Skateboarding #1 most technical and most time consuming to get good at.
Taize (2014)
I guess they don't consider nascar a sport, because it definitely shouldve made this list. With 3 g's of force throughout the race, 50 g's in crashes, and 120 degree heat inside the race care, it's no doubt that this is one of the most demanding sports. Also, how in the hell is bullriding and calf roping not in the top ten. You can't tell me figure skating is more demanding. Steer wrestling is definitely top 5 because your wrestling down a bull
Chito ryu mma fighter 4 life (2014)
The problem with this debate is simple. Riding a bike is easy. And racing d or c class is easy. If you can't even win a local b race then do not speak. Doctors have recorded PROFESIONAL athletes from every sport. Motocross beats every sport in strenuous activity (-injury even) by over 30%. The reality of the fact is that 99% of people won't understand and 70% of those people will fight about this while have zero experience or unbiased research because they have ties with there sport. I have done both and one state 2007. But the fact is by studies, doctors and my and two other slower riders on my wrestling team all say my blows wrestling out of the water..actually soccer is much more physically demanding than wrestling. Although I would love to say otherwise because I think it's kinda soft for me.... but you don't hear me speaking ignorance of a sport only because I think not so badass?
TJ (2014)
MX all the way.
JeromeMX18 (2014)
I dident even see moto cross on there and there is no possible easy fishing is more physically demanding than motocross
Me You (2014)
Motocross not on here? What a farce. Not even researched.
Lea (2014)
Ummm... Have you ever rowed before? From start to finish of a race your using all your major muscles, you get cuts and endless blisters on your hands, in my opinion rowing should be much higher!
Td RoTh (2014)
Wrestling: skipping meals, cutting weight, sweating, sweating, and more sweating, running, lifting, constant movement, injuries, pain, 100+ degree rooms, sacrifice, discomfort. Your always tired, injured, hungry, dehydrated, and you have to go back again. You have no days to rest or to take a break..... But I'm motocross is also extremely hard and demanding
Dave (2014)
I agree motorcross should be on the least but I also don't understand why it does not have Ultimate Fighting also?
Kaya5 (2014)
Water polo is the most physically demanding sport besides ice hockey and boxing. It's literally a mixture of a bunch of sports: boxing, swimming, basketball, soccer, wrestling. You are swimming about 2 miles a game while being brutally punched and drowned. You have to have incredible endurance and strength and have no easy ways out. Imagine soccer underwater, plus some boxing.
Mickyg82 (2014)
Motocross is number 1 ive done boxing for a good period, motocross is way harder than any of these sports.
Bob (2014)
How is baseball over soccer
Bruce (2014)
Motorcross doesn't require skillz and neither does wrestling
Fhgh (2014)
Motocross is not a sport. Neither is any form of racing when an engine is involved. Tough? Physically demanding? That may be but motocross is not a sport.
Chris fhgh (2014)
sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition.
Not tell me motocross isn't a sport
Betty (2014)
It has been proven that cross-country skiing demands more of the cardio vascular system than any other sport. This is because competitive events usually take place over very long distances and skiers encounter lots of different inclines to conquer. And baseball!!!!!!YOu should see the fat -packs of these apparent athletes cross country skiing is by far the most demanding sport-what other sport uses every muscle in your body!!!!!
Betty (2014)
this is so stupid you people should try cross country skiing for once in your life ...try racing a 50km race in an hour forty....then reflect on your comments
Betty (2014)
cheerleading and golf!!!!!cross country skiing(nordic skiing) is actually the top cardio sport you can get!!!!where do you get this information from!a tire shop!!!!
Mark (2014)
I laugh at all you people trying to argue that YOUR sport is harder than others. This list was created by EXPERTS, who are you? "Take the word of our panel of experts, a group made up of sports scientists from the United States Olympic Committee, of academicians who study the science of muscles and movement, of a star two-sport athlete, and of journalists who spend their professional lives watching athletes succeed and fail." Do you think you have more knowledge that these professionals?
I can assure that you DO NOT. You talk about motocross but fail to realise that essentially a machine is doing most of the work, and you talk about rowing but fail to realise that the sport restricts free movement in nature and has no form of collision or contact involved.
The ONLY sport that should have genuinely been number 1 is MMA. However, there is a legitimate reason for MMA not being included in this list. This list was published in 2006, a time where MMA was relatively unknown. There is no sport more difficult that MMA. It's simply a 1 vs 1 fight with very limited rules. Enough said.
Chris Mark (2014)
Not really, wrestling a 240lb chunk of pure muscle totaling 1/4 ~ of a hp.
Or wrestling a 240lb chunk of metal with over 60hp~.
Guest (2014)
How does basketball and football beat wrestling and martial arts?
Madi (2014)
No no no no no.... I'm guessing people don't understand the work of cheerleaders.. This CANT be right. Other lists day cheerleading is the 3rd NOT even close to 52 and it shouldn't be. For what we go through no one understands the difficulty unless you try it.. Our stereotype is little girls with Pom poms just doing cheers. If that's what you thought you are not even close to right. We jump,stunt,tumble,condition,have harsh practices, and anything else you can think of. We stunt,tumble,dance,and do jumps and have to hit everything perfect in 2 min and 30 sec.. About injures. People say you don't get hurt doing cheer. Ummm hello. Start off with stunts. Do you know what a stunt is? Apparently not. We have 2 people called bases holding Simone in the air called a flyer and someone in the back. Yeah we have 3 people. It seems easy but it's NOT. The difficulty in the stunts are always the hardest. Think about the flyer first. I've been a flyer. You put your full trust to keep you safe in the air. You fall ALOT. When you do that you can get hurt very bad from falling from that high an it can also hurt the people under you badly because you hit them or they dive to catch you and break something. Now to tumbling. Do you know what a backhandspring,tuck,layout,full,double,and more of those are? When you do these after you have been doing other tiring stuff you can hurt your self very badly if you don't do the skill the right way. If you fall out of tumbling you can suffer from many things like concussion,breaking things,memory loss,and many other severe condition. I could go on and on but I'm going to my practice.. To work and to prove what cheerleading is all about and this Is to show you what cheerleading actually is..
Thanks!
Madi (2014)
We have 2 people called bases holding Simone in the air called a flyer and someone in the back. Yeah we have 3 people. It seems easy but it's NOT. The difficulty in the stunts are always the hardest. Think about the flyer first. I've been a flyer. You put your full trust to keep you safe in the air. You fall ALOT. When you do that you can get hurt very bad from falling from that high an it can also hurt the people under you badly because you hit them or they dive to catch you and break something. Now to tumbling. Do you know what a backhandspring,tuck,layout,full,double,and more of those are? When you do these after you have been doing other tiring stuff you can hurt your self very badly if you don't do the skill the right way. If you fall out of tumbling you can suffer from many things like concussion,breaking things,memory loss,and many other severe condition. I could go on and on but I'm going to my practice.. To work and to prove what cheerleading is all about and this Is to show you what cheerleading actually is..
Thanks!
Madi (2014)
No no no no no.... I'm guessing people don't understand the work of cheerleaders.. This CANT be right. Other lists day cheerleading is the 3rd NOT even close to 52 and it shouldn't be. For what we go through no one understands the difficulty unless you try it.. Our stereotype is little girls with Pom poms just doing cheers. If that's what you thought you are not even close to right. We jump,stunt,tumble,condition,have harsh practices, and anything else you can think of. We stunt,tumble,dance,and do jumps and have to hit everything perfect in 2 min and 30 sec.. About injures. People say you don't get hurt doing cheer. Ummm hello. Start off with stunts. Do you know what a stunt is? Apparently not.
Hy_voltj (2014)
I would LOVE to see a bike, ummm, motocrossist step into the ring for a round...or two. I understand it is a demanding sport, however, it doesn't compare to the physicality, and the mental aspect of boxing. The simple fact that at any given moment, while you try to endure how tough it is to even keep your hands up, you can be and will be knocked out. I get it, you have to be able to twist the handle, and brake, at times so that the bike will do its work. And I know it's tough wearing all that heavy gear to protect your body while it's hot out. And I know it takes a lotta time to keep your bike tuned just right. But I don't see many 50 somethings out there with full beer bellies stepping into the ring. There are few boxers that I know of that spend the weekend camping in the forest and drinking beers at night while training for a fight. NUFF SAID...
Chris hy_voltj (2014)
I DARE you to find a "50 something witha beer belly ride professional motocross. Doesnt compare mentally? Try and fight 40 odd riders around a tight track for 30 minutes straight. No brakes. No help.
Idk (2014)
ummm hello where is BALLET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Harold Wayne (2014)
How did basketball beat gymnastics.....
Aaron (2014)
Gymnastics isn't high on endurance, but it beats the crap out of most sports in strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility, and coordination.
The only sports I'd let have a chance against gymnastics are the fighting sports (with endurance beating gymnastics). I still think they'd lose in flexibility and close call in coordination, but still near the top.
Cricket man (2014)
May I ask where cricket is?
Rob Admin Cricket man (2014)
I would place cricket about 50th on this list. Cricket would not have been included as the Americans who made the list would not have considered cricket a worldwide sport as they don't play it much. There are more demanding sports that were also not included such as Aussie Rules and Hurling, and probably many more regional sports.
Think about it (2014)
Surfing is way less technical than skateboarding. Bad scientists!
Slimjim111 (2014)
Baseball at number 9?! Never knew shooting steroids, chewing tobacco and snoozing on the bench required fitness...
Jay (2014)
I grew up playing Ice Hockey, wrestling and raced Motocross and I promise you that Motocross is one of the most physically demanding and punishing on the body. If you don't believe me and you're an athlete who has the ability to test it out. Please do. I've given this challenge to others and they couldn't believe it.
Jay (2014)
I was going to ask why Motocross is not on this list. It is by far one of the top 10 bar none
L.T. (2014)
Archery below cheerleading and roller skating? By far the worst sports list ever?
Al;sdfkj (2013)
How come parkour isnt here! Its higher than billards!
Rob Admin al;sdfkj (2013)
Parkour is not really a sport. One of my definitions of a sport is that it has to be undertaken competitively and capable of achieving a result. See http://www.topendsports.com....
Julie (2013)
but im happy that gymnastics is 8th. pretty good.
Steve Gargus (2013)
I love boxing and do it competitively and play basketball for fun. But there is no sport tougher than water polo. You have to know how to swim, wrestle, tread water, throw a ball, and run plays for 7 minutes times 4 quarters.
Any of those other sports listed you can do with little to no experience. The success of you doing it will vary. But you can't say the same about water polo. There is no way to play a pick up game without knowing how to do all those things.
Baseball and skiing for real? Sorry whack list.
CJ (2013)
I agree that motocross is hard. It requires immense skills, and participants get injured frequently. However, it doesn't require a lot of cardio-endurance. (But then again, what would I know; I only play women's football and softball).
I'd argue that tennis is the hardest sport, though. It works more muscle groups than all of the sports above it. You use your core and legs to generate unbelievable power. If you watch a real game in person, balls go at 200 mph. CRAZY!!! It also requires unbelievable hand-eye coordination. As far as footwork goes, a person has to take a lot of quick steps and change direction quickly. Lots of sprints. As far as form goes, it's impossible to get perfect form. There are at least 8 different strokes and grips. And the sport also requires extreme mental toughness.
I don't even practice tennis, but it is the hardest sport I've ever tried to play.
Savannah (2013)
I am sorry, but this chart is in all honestly flat out dumb. There is NO way that alpine skiing is more "physically demanding" than Nordic skiing. For nordic (aka cross country) skiing, you need to train your legs, core, arms and get endurance. And really? I don't think that volley ball and tennis should be considered that physically demanding. With all due respect, this chart flat out sucks.
Grrr (2013)
How did equestrian get put so low on the list?
E (2013)
Equestrian should NOT be behind cheer leading, table tennis etc... And before anybody argues, try actually riding for a few years before judging the sport.
Waterpologirl14 (2013)
Water polo is tougher than baseball or gymnastics!!! Do you get punched in the face in gymnastics NOYOU DO NOT!!!!! Baseball is tough but you hit a ball run arojnd the bases your done!!! Water polo theonly break you get is quarters and ejections!!! You don't get to touch the bottom of the pool or the walls and you swim for seven minutes four times while wrestling!!
Leonard (2013)
Ok everyone is saying motocross and wrestling the athletes are doing the same. Let's do wrestling vs motocross strength test. Yeah end of story everyone. Ps. I do motocross.
Noah Topolinski (2013)
Motocross beats all of those sports, I don't see it listed...
Storm55 (2013)
Table tennis is on here but Dance is not. dance has been proven harder than football and it's not even being shown on here. And motor cross should be on here because that's hard crap. It's much more demanding than a lot of these sports on here. Ridiculous....
Hroark (2013)
where the h** is motocross/supercross and long distance triathlons..... or MMA? Baseball? Please!
Kyle Bavis (2013)
As a hockey goalie myself I can tell you that it is the hardest.
Strength/Power— Having to fire your legs and dig your skate deep into the ice to be able to propel your body across the net. Not to mention doing that in over 25-30 pounds.
Speed/Agility— Being able to get your equipment where the puck is going is unbelievably hard alone. Then you have to remember that they have to get in a position to make a save. And what makes positioning a nightmare is the player that you are trying to stop is skating forward and dictation where the puck go's. You on the other hand are skating backwards and have little to no control as to where the puck go's. This lopsided equation causes goalie to have to move different way at a split second to be able to stay positioned to the puck.
Flexibility — I think we all know how flexible goalie need to be. Enough said.
Hand-Eye Coordination — One of the hardest things to do as a goalie is to track the puck. If your don't take the puck you will never be able to make a safe. And worst of all it only improves over a long time.
Nerve — Goalie is the single most pressured position in sports. The whole team counts on you and if you screw up for just tenths of a second in a 60 minute game you can cause your team to lose. And at the end of the game the pressure gets even worse if you're leading by only a goal or two. For if you lose the whole team looks at you.
Durability — An average goalie in a game plays the whole 60 minutes. A hockey player only skate for about 20 minutes not to mention breaks about every minute or so. Analytic Aptitude — If you don't feel like going out to play that day you can give up 5 goals in the first period and it make both you and your team look like crap. I hope that this post will make you see how unbelievably hard hockey goalie is.
H2O + Determination (2013)
It's difficult to decide which sport "ranks" as the "hardest" when you have sports that include the athlete supporting equipment and you also have sports that don't. It's not like you can say that motocross can be compared to swimming based on speed! HAHA! There are certain sports that are more suited to be comparable to each other. Its unfair to all when someone does so. Also it does not make sense to rank a sport higher based on it's risk factor. Idiots. The sport is ranked for the SPORT aspect. Athleticism has nothing to gain from risk, thus, it does not matter how risky your sport is. You chose the sport, so you have accepted the risk factor of that sport. You have no place to claim a higher level of athleticism because of it. My personal opinion is that the power produced from using the human body alone is a large part of what makes a top ranking athlete. For instance, soccer players are some of the most physically FIT athletes in the world. I don't play soccer personally. You must think about what soccer entails, not the injuries that may be sustained from it! If you want to decide what the hardest sport is,,,,that sucks....because each sport is hardest in its own odd way. By the way, if motocross is this amazing, could a motocross athlete perform well in a gymnastics-based sport? Since they are trained under physically grueling conditions? Do you think they would be good at speed skating? or marathon running? or synchronized swimming? Think about it.
Will V (2013)
Why are field events ranked higher than distance and mid distance? That's not even close
Drewski (2013)
Ive Played hockey, wrestling, and done motocross (which I was the best by far at) and motocross isnt even in the same category. Hockey and wrestling were way more demanding in terms of athletic ability and skill. Hockey imo should be number 1. for those who say motocross is harder probably sucked at other sports before they switched to moto. If moto was such a great sport than why dont highschools have teams? Don't say its two expensive because If you play hockey in hs you know that its well over 3k a year and as a kid you are constantly growing and having to buy new stuff.
Kevin Drewski (2013)
3k a year, a bike alone cost more than that (£4000-£8000) never mind gear (£500-£1000) or entirety fees (£30) a day, the Repair cost of the bikes and on top of all that there is hospital bills to pay also a school doesn't want to be held responsible if one of their student dies or becomes parylised in their care
Minezach1 (2013)
Swimming works you harder than all of those things combined
Karan (2013)
Where is Cricket?
Eddie (2013)
where is motocross/supercross on this list? I think ESPN needs to do another study with the top pro's of dirt bike racing. I have played every other sport and nothing compares to motocross physically and mentally wise. Anyone who says that this isn't a sport is an idiot and needs to get their ass on a dirt bike and get on a track to understand from first hand experience. You can't make assumptions about something you have never done.
Skittles (2013)
Apparently, whoever wrote that has never played soccer. I got punched in the face and my friend broke her foot just playing rec soccer. Soccer's harder people. Oh, by the way, we got hurt, and we are 11. That's right. 11 year old people do that. It's that hard to play.
Doug (2013)
squash ??? must be top 10
Kett (2013)
I have mates who ride motocross an mates who play rugby league an motocross isn't close.
RLV (2013)
I have done rowing, rugby, footy, cricket, waterpolo and i was a state swimmer at one point but rowing at a year 9 level is 100% the hardest sport i have ever done and i have to rest for days after doing 2-3 races a day and i train 5-7 times a week in the pre-season
R (2013)
HOW IS ROWING 39th?
Eric (2013)
This is dumb, wrestling and boxing is martial arts!
Fitman (2013)
In the late 60's early 70's some Swedish Sports scientist (might even have been something to do with Husqvana?) did some experiments and they reckoned MX was THE most physically demanding sport in the world. There is no other sport that works as many muscle groups (pretty much all of them!!) so hard, all at the same time. Professional Tennis came in second. In the 90's didn't some German boffins do a similar thing with a load of top German sportsmen/women and Pitt Beirer came out as fittest of them all?
Mal_pal (2013)
Haha so tennis is harder tan water polo ? Give me a break water polo should be like number 2.
Sadam (2013)
Soccer is for pansies! Basketball is much harder!
Stefan Sadam (2013)
Hell no wait till you break your femur wrestling.
Tom Bar-nachum (2016)
football (soccer) at no.10? haha you americans are a joke... 2 sets of 45 minutes of running in different pace and control a ball aaand make defence addin to 7-9 miles per game and yet ice hokey (you glide on the ice) and baseball (really?) are rated harder??? haha
Ultimate Time Travel Paradox Tom Bar-nachum (2016)
You do not merely glide on ice in hockey. You have to skate hard to out-skate an opponent, which requires incredibly strong legs and years of experience. Not to mention the fact that it's one of the only sports where players get locked into a box and that there are 200+ pound men that could be coming hard at your ass at speeds from 30-40 mph. Not to mention that there's a lot less embellishment(faking trips/other injuries) in hockey compared to soccer. Oh yeah, and you have to do all of this while standing on razor sharp blades that are an eighth of an inch thin.

Older Comments

Why isn't motocross or riding a dirt bike in general listed on this list. I Race, I wrestle, I'm a Black Belt in karate and I play football, and I can tell you straight up racing is one of the most physically demanding sports out there. It is definitely the most physically demanding sport I have ever played. (from Im kinda angry, Apr 2013)
Motocross or Enduro is THE toughest thing I've done. Someone in the comments claimed they did it for 2 years - well you obviously weren't competitive, because even hobbyist riding can leave you feeling like jelly within minutes. (from Alan, Apr 2013)
Wth!!! Gymnastics is really #8 really?!?! It should at least be the top 3 its way more demanding that the other 7 infront of it i would lve to see you try gymnastics and also im with the dancers and cheerleaders on this one just because its not a "guy sport" it doesn't mean its not one. (from gymnast, Apr 2013)
Water skiing should definitely be higher than diving, auto racing, fencing... etc. Those sports do not have what it takes to be as close to water skiing! It takes way more endurance skills than some of those just saying... If you change one thing in your position, stance, foot movement, anything, you will fail and end up in the water. (from Erica, Apr 2013)
Are you kidding me?? Swim is not 36 th place. I am under thirteen and have six pack abs. I've only swam for three years, and before I did dance, soccer, and gymnastics. Swim is harder than all those put together. Anyone ever swam in a pool for three hours sprinting NO BREAKS five days a week with six to seven hour long meets on the weekend?!?!?! If you have you know what I mean when I say these people are idiots who slapped together a biased, false, and random list. Swim uses every part of your body non-stop and forces you to dedicate your life to it if you ever want to make something of yourself through it. (from ð, Apr 2013)
Obviously the person who ranked this has never rowed vs. played hockey. Hockey as #2 and rowing #39 really! hardest part about hockey, bag skates. Hardest part about rowing, moving after your done the workout, because you cant for you have pushed your body so hard. I am dissapointed with this ranking :( (from elock, Apr 2013)

Baseball is in a good place, it is the hardest to hit the ball. A baseball player can do most of the other sports, even badly, while most athletes cannot go and hit a baseball. (from Dude, Mar 2013)
I play and do both tennis and rowing, and I would say that tennis is ten times easier than rowing. To row you need lots of time you train 3 hours 4 times a week, dedication, you can't go to training and not do your best there is no point. You need patience, technique, balence, speed, fitness and the most important is strength, if you don't have strong arms, legs, ribs, back, hips and abs you're stuffed! (from Kate, Mar 2013)
No Squash? Seriously? Obviously this is a biased survey. Hello? It is called planet earth not planet USA. (from Abdul, Mar 2013)
How is rowing #39? (from mike, Mar 2013)
I think Equestrian should be ranked number 1, or at least higher than it already is.
Equestrian is one of the most physical and mental demanding sports out there, you have to have the strength to control a 1200 animal with just your arms, legs and seat. But you also have to have the courage to get up there and jump fences taller than you, be thrown 6ft from the ground going 45mph and get right back up into the saddle. In one mistake these animals could kill us, every time we get up in the saddle we risk out lives and we know we could be killed, but we still do it because we love it. Horse riding isn't really recognized as much as it should be it's claimed 'easy' or 'the rider just sits there' etc. Those statements are so untrue!
I bet you half the people who say that couldn't get on a horse and do what we do. We make working with a huge animal look easy. It's different to it actually being easy.
Everyone who has suggested wrestling as top, seriously! If you want to do something staged, become an actor, its far more chalenging. Sockser and football, iā ve never done anything easier and more boring in my life!
Rowing at number 39? Seriously, I'd swap that with boxing, in boxing another person causes pain upon one small part of the body, in rowing you have to exert that pain on yourself, over your entire body, Every muscle screaming out for you to stop, in comparison, boxing is easy!
Everyone complaining that tennis should not be in the top ten has clearly never played in their life. don't dare say that tennis is just running around hitting the ball. you try to hit the ball as hard as you can and get it in the court within 2 feet of your target. i can tell you right now if you have even played for fun a few times you would probably hit the fence every time. It is also extremely mental you have to miss split second decisions several times every point. You have no clue how hard it is to come back from loosing 4-6 0-3 when it literally seems like there is no hope. And all you gymnastics people are stupid if you think it should go before tennis. you have your 1-3 MINUTE routine MEMORIZED. The average college singles tennis match is around 2 hours, and pro matches go from 3-6 hours on average! not to mention you run 20-40 yards per point!every 20-40 seconds with less than a 15 second break. my high school conditioning consisted of running a mile doing suicides for 10 min straight and abs... for a warm up! total we run probably 15 miles in 30 hours in 100 degree heat. so for all you idiots who have just watched a pro match and thought it looks easy, it's because they make it look easy. you have to be in PERFECT court position for every shot and if your not than your not good, and it is extremely hard to sprint to perfect position every shot. there is a reason why to go pro in tennis you have to start when you're 5 years old and spend $50,000+ on lessons by the time your 18. (from derick, Mar 2013)
F1 is vey tough, but physicaly demanding, on the neck yeah, but that's about it
This list seems fairly accurate except in the top it should probably be close to 1. Boxing/mma, 2. Wrestling, 3. lacrosse, 4. Rugby, 5. Hockey, 6. Fooball, 7. Swimming
And no guys motocross shouldn't be number 1 it bases it on muscles you use and even if its hard its not exactly straining on the muscles (from Kellen, Mar 2013)
Fencing should be higher! Just how many of all of you can fence till 15 points? (from 18270, Mar 2013)
SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING!!!!!!!!!!! I SWEAR SOME ONE FORGOT AOUT IT COZ FISHING IS NOT HARDER TO DO. SYNCHRO IS IN THE TOP 10. PEEIOD. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. THANK YOU :DDDDD
SOCCER: Why is american football on there? Plays are only 30 sec and they often come off for a brake. soceer or swin is the most demanding because it's 45 min of running and sprinting then 10 min break then 45 more min. That's something most sports don't have. There are too many breaks in other sports (from Andrew, Mar 2013)
For everyone saying your sport is the "hardest you've ever done" it's also probably the only sport you've done at an elite level. I speak as a tennis player, and it annoys the hell out of me when people say tennis is about running around and hitting a ball. Tennis is one of the most mentally, physically, technically and tactically demanding sports out there, no question. Don't talk about running around hitting a ball, because that's not even touching on what it is. Try holding your concentration for more than two or three hours at a time. Try being down and out and having to claw your way back into the match. Try not knowing how much longer you're going to be out there for when you're mentally and physically screwed. Try being out on your own with no one telling you how to win or what to do, then say tennis is easy. (from Ben, Mar 2013)
Ummmm where's dance? (from courtney, Feb 2013)
I think hockey should be number 1 because its like lax, figure and speed skating, and boxing combined. and why is field hockey on here but not inline. inline takes more finesse than ice but its not as tough so it should be in the top 15 at least (from klancy, Feb 2013)
People: all you do in motocross is push the button! Motocrossers: try sprinting for 30 min straight (no stoping) with weights on your ankles, that's about par with motocross... Not to mention the impacts at 50 mph... Motocross should be at least in the top 3. Period (from Mxmann111, Feb 2013)
Wrestling is by far the hardest sport. Anyone who doesn't believe me go try it and you won't be able to make it through a practice. Basketball is a joke compared to Wrestling. (from Adam, Feb 2013)
motocross is number 1 no question! (from rob, Feb 2013)
I hate to break it to you ... but this list is soooooo wrong if wrestling is listed below any sport, especially basketball of all sports. And, I am disapointed to not see cross country on this list! (from Casey Viger, Feb 2013)
Have you even played water polo and first grade too you will understand that for juniors who the youngest age group is u14s 10 year olds play how fit do they have to be and in juniors a game last at the most about half an hour are you crazy (from ano, Feb 2013)
How can boxing rate over MMA/UFC. And American footballs a joke, seeing those bid dudes with their stomachs hanging out, they wouldnt compete with athletes their own size from Rugby Union,or Rugby League.For all round athleticism,toughness,skill those NFL guys are a joke,they're one trick ponies all padded and pumped up with steriods. (from Steven, Jan 2013)
Rugby is behind baseball, basketball and friggen tennis!!? You and this list are retarded (from Alex, Jan 2013)
Auto Racing 31? HA! Take the 3 away and thats where they should be at turkey f1 drivers experience 5+ g-forces for over 7 seconds in one corner. I would like to see Rocky do that (from Hunter, Jan 2013)
This is a bad list. Been a rower for 4 years now in college, and lemme tell ya it should be at the TOP. (from funkybudgy, Jan 2013)
Most of you don't understand that this is a list of the most DEMANDING sports, not the toughest.
Cheer isn't a sport? If you've got time, please go to Youtube and type in CA Smoed Worlds 2012, that's what we do. My school has won state 6 times. That's right. We don't just stand and look pretty. I've been in gymnastics. Beats cheer a little. My cousin was in Motocross. Broke his collar bone. That is one of the scarist sports. But if you want to prove me wrong, I'll prove you wrong. Think cheerleaders aren't coordinated? Type in Gabi Douglas. Yeah thats right. Wrestiling (sorry for spelling) lasts as long as a cheer routine. How is ping pong a sport? Because every sport requires strength. Go judge me, because i won't judge you. (from Nicole Kate, Jan 2013)
motocross isnt listed? WOW. Its one of the most physical sports in the world!
Surely this is based on the most demanding sports due to injuries not breathe. I feel like they just listed sports in a random order (from Kevin, Jan 2013)
I would love to see anyone who thinks stick and ball sports are tough to try racing motocross. This list is retarded. (from Clay, Jan 2013)
Tennis should be higher than 7, considering all the work on and off the court that needs to be put in. people who play casual tennis think its a joke, but serious tennis is one of the most physical activities there is. how many fat tennis players have you seen? (from Emily, Jan 2013)
Any list that ranks baseball as harder then track is a joke (from Jimmy Knickson, Jan 2013)
Swimming is most definitely #1, wrestled for 4 years and must say its 2nd. mma i Amagine is very hard #3. Motocross are you serious? I did that for 2 years but really it takes a little toll on your body but nothing compared to most other sports. But if you've ever been is swimming, being in the pool for 5 hours a day at least with meets on the weekends you are using every muscle constantly and there are NO breaks or excuses to slow down. (from Anthony, Jan 2013)
I love how every1 thinks their sport should be first like seriously this is a battle that can't be 1 its strength vs speed. Smashing into people's running for hours. I can't be won its like comparing a tv and a chair they are all different, any way if u don't like this list then go to your sports website and look at that list. (from Rob00b9, Jan 2013)
So what your favorite sport wasn't picked so what big deal. You can't compare the sports they all are hard some take power some take speed who cres people (from Someone, Dec 2012)
Most of you don't realize that it isnt the cheerleading at a football game that they are talking about. The cheerleading that they are talking about is competitive, and there are rules. You must stay in a certain area, there are specific stunts that must be preformed, people are thrown into the air and must trust their teammates to catch them. I am not saying it should be extremely high on the list but it is a sport as long as it is competitive and there are rules.
How can squash not be in the top 10. If anyone has actually played at a highly competitive level then you would see how difficult it really is.
Formula One (from 777, Dec 2012)
Baseball at 9? You've got to be kidding me. They barely even run. The list should be boxing, mixed martial arts, wrestling, soccer, football, basketball, etc. Water Polo has to be the weakest game I've ever seen. Children shouldn't eben be allowed to watch that on T.V. And to the comment above, formula one is awesome and risky, but does not require you to be in great shape. So it shouldn't even be on the list. (from Payton C., Dec 2012)
Water polo!!!!! What is it doing after tennis and football - it is by far more dangerous and demanding than tennis I played it and I got knocked out a few times and I didn't once get even a bruise in tennis. tennis you hit a ball with a racket big deal!!! (from Julia, Nov 2012)
Motocross is easily in the top 5. You race for 45 mins non stop in all kinds of weather (from Conor, Nov 2012)
WATER POLO should be in the top 5!!! I would love to see any of you, wake up at 4 in the Morning to practice, then back again in the afternoon for 3 more hours, then have games at night, wait, you have to be an incredibly good swimmer, not just good, but aggressive and fast. Water polo is played in a pool where YOU CAN'T TOUCH THE BOTTOM, so you tread. For hours on end. Then, add the element of setting up plays and offensives and defensives, and have to score goals. Then, it gets Better, we don't wear padding, helments, gloves, we don't wear anything, we have suits. And we don't have brutality rules, anything under water is safe, considering your body is 95% in th water, you get beat continuously by the other team, who wants to win jut as bad as you. Try treading, exhausted, sprint swimming back and forth up and down the pool, then getting the crap beat out of you, while trying to pass a ball around, USING ONE HAND. Okay, I'm done. Change this backwards list (from Kimberly T, Nov 2012)
I run x-country/long distance track and it is a lot more physical than most of the sports before it. Especially with your lungs,legs,arms burning struggling to breath. (from zfighter, Nov 2012)
How is baseball 9? Baseball is hardly a sport if you can chew tobacco and be one of the best in the world. This is a joke that rugby is not higher and soccer should be top 2 because some of the players run over 10 miles in a game, while football players run and get a 40 second break every play!! Track and field should be higher than fencing, and why is figure skating so physically demanding? Also, I don't think that gymnastics should be 8. I know that the olympians are completely ripped, but gymnastics as a whole is not that demanding. Swimming should also be in the top 5. And last, cheerleading is not a sport, but if you want to include it, at least make fishing ranked more demanding. (from Dan, Nov 2012)

Motocross- without a doubt. not only the most physically demanding but also the most mentally demanding. people who have never raced will never understand what it is to be a motocross racer. (from jim, Nov 2012)
Sorry guys but the ball and stick athletes cannot compare to a professional MX racer. I played college football, I was a linebacker. I wrestled 4 years in high school state runner up in light heavy senior year, I played soccer to stay in shape for football. I was 6'0 215 and benched 425 and leg pressed, well we never found my limit. All the while I raced from the time I was 7 years old. I am 49 now. I can tell you without reservation MX takes more out of your body than any other sport. Wresting and soccer come very close. But a moto is like nothing else, the heat, the power of the bike, the constant body movement and the pure balls it takes. I would put Ricky Charmicael up against any athlete in endurance and strength. I believe it was Lance Armstrong that stated "Ricky could do the Tour de France" of course Lance was doping back then. But for all of you that don't understand sorry. MMA is the new kid on the block and those guys are true Athletes, but 30 min +2 laps in Freestone TX is only for the best of the best athletes. (from Fixitdad34, Nov 2012)
I can't stand these list because they are fairly biased and there are several factors that you cant account for. Such as mental stress and varying conditions. Is perhaps football in the desert more demanding than ice hockey? Further more ive done many of these sports recreationally and you cant account for nature increasing the dificulty on individual sports such as mountain climbing. Out of all the sports ive done the only times I have sincerely thought I was going to die is while surfing in pretty bad conditions. You can go ahead and give me every reason why tennis or whatever is harder than charging a 12 foot hurricane swell but I can most certainly tell you Ive never had to make my peace with god while playing soccer or anything eles. Surfing was the only one that made me realize I am not in controll and most certainly can die. (from John, Nov 2012)
Motorbike riding should be very high on list! (from Nick, Nov 2012)
This is a joke. Rowing is 39th after diving and badminton and more? If anything, rowing should be top 5 at least. If you think it is a simple, serene sport, think again. (from David, Nov 2012)
motocross is number 1 by far, my dad participated in all of the sports in that list and he can for sure tell you that motocross is the most physical demanding sport on earth, on soccer, yeah, maybe a soccer game lasts 90 minutes, but players stop runing and moving many times, in motocross, well, 45 minutos of non-stop full body activity, in motocross all of your systems is used, even you hair.Stupid list, useless "expert scientist" man MOTOCROSS is by far the most physical demanding sport idots. (from jean claude, Oct 2012)
Swimming: whats the heck is it doing at 45th. Swimming is so hard! you ever heard this saying: NO substitutions NO timeouts Swimming is not a Game Swimming is a SPORT. It is even proven to be the hardest!!! (from lynn, Oct 2012)
Why is cheerleading even on the list? Its not a sport. (from Harold, Oct 2012)
I have done most of these sports and ... yeah motocross/supercross. Not only is it most demanding but when they train..they do almost the same training as all these others plus more and go at their training 10 times harder ... no bs..that why i ditched all other sports i used to do and stuck with motocross for the past 23 year..by far the hardest (from a-train, Oct 2012)
Maybe I'm confused is this list of the toughest sports to learn or the toughest and most demanding physically. Because many of you are listing sports that do not take much athletic ability, just a lot of practice and training. Many of the sports listed can be done with a little practice and dedication, and not too much athletic ability. I have played many of these sports and each sport can be tough in different ways. But if you want to talk a really tough sport, try your luck at big wave surfing off of jaws, then tell me what the toughest sport is, o sorry you folks won't b able to because u will b dead!!! (from Brew, Oct 2012)
- I thought this list is for most physically demanding ... baseball, fencing, surfing, car racing and others similar that mostly demand technical skill shouldn't be in this list, even if they are challenging.
For you that think that soccer should be higher i played for years and now play football and it is double as hard.. soccer is really easy (from nateblaze, Oct 2012)
Basketball is above wrestling? that is so not true. I am a freshmen wrestling in college right now. Wrestled throughout high school. All the basketball players at my high school and at my college now are no where near the level of toughness or intensity a skilled wrestler possesses. Foot ball it a test of athletisism and is fun but is not physically demanding. With wrestling we have two 2 hour practices six days a week. They are incredibly hard, sometimes i fall asleep class i am so exhausted. Wrestling,boxing, swimming should be the top 3. whoever made this should watch Iowa's documentary on wrestling. (from clark, Oct 2012)
Motocross is easily in the top 5 ... you're riding 45 minutes strait and your heart rate is around 175 to 190 the whole time its crazy that motocross isn't even on this stupid list and badminton come on 30th?? it shouldn't even be a sport i play that with my 4 year old niece ... pathetic (from michael, Oct 2012)
Motocross is #2 soccer is the only sport more physical than motocross.
Is. All about d Game Basketball kill's dem all no sweat.we Bballing till we gone. (from sepir A Tokiq, Sept 2012)
rowing! by far, you work almost every muscle in your body to complete exhaustion, boxing can't match that! (from tim, Sept 2012)
How in the world is fencing above the likes of Rowing, Auto Racing and Weight-Lifting? Fencing is a purely technical sport, wielding feather-light swords to enable the quick movement past an opponents defense to score points. I cannot even comprehend how rowing isn't in the top 5, when you cannot stop or even lighten off the pressure to enable recovery without destroying your chances at succeeding. The pain and intensity of the sport even forcing people to collapse and require immediate hospital treatment. This list is a disgrace, why is it even still up with all the comments and the obvious errors to the ranking system (from Brett, Sept 2012)
What about full marathon. Just how many can do a 42km? (from Allan, Sept 2012)
Obviously none of you have ever raced Moto Cross. Try putting in a 30min plus 2lap moto and recalculate your pathetic "Top10" list. (from Craig Dietrich, Aug 2012)
Why isn't motocross on the list? Motocross should be number 1 on the list or at least top 3. Motocross is a sport were you use almost every muscle in your body!!! This list is inaccurate. You can ask and person that has done it all and they will say motocross more physically demanding. And im not saying this because this is my sport but because its true! And believe me i have done football, baseball, boxing, bmx, and track. And out of all of them motocross is the hardest. People who dont race motocross will never understand! (from Jacob, 10 Aug 2012)
Rowing should me number one. Most painful sport there is. Rowers literally lose the ability to see or hear by the end of a race. I routinely try to drink water after a race but find myself unable to swallow. I can't breath properly for the rest of the day either. You are literally using every muscle in your body, and keeping your heart rate above 200 for 6-8 minutes. Not to mention that you have to keep together with everyone else in your boat and keep the boat set while in constant, intense pain. (from Rowing, Aug 2012)
Rowing is the most demanding sport in the world. Top rowers even at the international club level have to go to another place in their mind and body to win a 2km race. Muscles not used in competition actual turn white, even their tongue turns white as blood is directed to the brain, the heart and only the muscles needed in the race. Quite often rowers go temporarily blind at the end of a race. Rowers have a saying " real athletes row, everyone else just play games." I have been rowing for 15 years and have my share of gold medals in international competition. (from Bill, July 2012)
Personally i think swimming is the most physically tiring. my friend tried to tell me one time that skate boarding is the hardest, oh hell no! It is hard, but, all you have to do is balance on a board, and move around. i did swim team for 7 years, i should know, if its harder then skate boarding. i've tried skate boarding and its not hard at all! my point has been made. (from kelly, July 2012)
Okay first of all in swimming you swim EVERYTHING there are not two individual sports me as a mid distance/sprinter i still swim distance at least 3 times a year, also is this article biased because i have played rep hockey and swimming at the same time and i can plainly say that swimming is WAY more demanding than Ice Hockey (which is #2 if you haven't noticed) . This article is way out of place and i realize that it is also biased coming from me but i have played 2 of the sports on here and i can say that one (swimming) is harder than the other (ice hockey) i can also grief for gymnastics which is 8th behind TENNIS and AMERICAN FOOTBALL LOL ... yah I'm not sure who wrote this but all in all this article could use A LOT of revising (from Sarah, July 2012)
Possibly the most ridiculous "list" of any sort I have ever seen. Baseball shouldn't make the top 50. David Wells, Bartolo Colon, CC Sabathia ... the list goes on. And American football. They play about 8 minutes of actual action and the rest is clock run off. What a joke. I cannot argue with boxing at #1. But really, lacrosse ahead of the Tour de France??? I cannot even dignify that with a response. What a bunch of morons who voted on this list. No bias to American sports either right?? (from AJ, July 2012)
Ok, this is a list. 1 list out of who knows how much. It is 1 person's opinion and ya. But I too believe it is inaccurate. I'm not exactly sure what motocross is (oops! :-* sorry) and ya. But swimming shouldn't be that low. And my top 5 would be (based on sports I have done) 1) something 2) swimming and 3) maybe rowing 4) both types of skiing and 5) running long distance. (from Janaea Roberts, July 2012)
AFL should clearly be in here and be right up there (from Nathan, July 2012)
I have done a lot of sports like rugby, boxing, cycling, swimming and competitive motocross racing tops them all, not on the basis that it's much more demanding, but doesn't have any rest periods compared to all the sports listed in the top ten. Also to the person who said "like any motocross guy could last for even ONE day of the tour de france in the alps ... hA!" Most motocross riders do cycling as their main form of training ... Shows how much you know about the sport. (from John, July 2012)
Why is cheerleading and gymnastics lower than football?!?! in my opinion they both require immense amount of training, flexibility, and is harder than most sports. In cheerleading you throw girls around and you need a lot of strength and you have no equitment whereas football you just tackle players which won't even hurt or involves strength cuz you have padding on. also in cheer you have to do a lot of conditioning or working out and stretching in order to have good jumps, tumbling, and a flexible flyer. cheerleading should be one of the first on the list (July 2012)
Each sport all have their own degree of difficulty, but I think Tennis (Singles) should be moved up a bit. Clearly not considered a contact sport. Spend 3 to 5 hours in the heat of the day chasing a ball with no team mates or relief player. All sports should be respected for what they are. None all that easy. As the saying goes, if it were easy, every one could do it. We would have NO professional sports to even disagree on. (from Surprised, July 2012)
What is gymnastics doing at number 8 .. are you kidding tennis, you run and hit a ball with a raquet, i could write a book about all the things a gymnast does, they train harder then any other sport for way longer hours ! you get injured, you keep going, don't expect to stop training with a broken leg or arm. and basketball, they throw balls, we throw ourselves into the air and learn how to rotate in two different way at the same time twice in one jump, i dont think a basketball player can do that, but a gymnasts can definately throw a ball in a hoop, serve a ball in tennis. honestly football cannot even compare to gymnastics, our strength and conditioning is far more harder.. and we are girls. (from dont worry, June 2012)
I have done 7 out of the top 13 sports. Why? I played rugby when young. It makes all other sports a bit soft. I quit MMA as it was a bit wet.
A mature rugby player is expected to bench 110% of their body weight and squat 150% of their body weight. Has a VO_2max of about 45/50 and sprints about 6 in a game. This is with out tackling, rucking, mauling. Pros need both the streangth of a strong man, the endurance of a distance runner and the speed of a sprinter.
Physical sport - its tourture with a ref! (from Carl, June 2012)
I have been riding horses for just over two years now, and it's the hardest sport I've ever done. I played basketball for three years, and did competitive cheerleading for three years. While I'm not saying these two things aren't hard (because they are) they don't beat Equestrian sports. I want to just point out a lot more than just staying on the horse goes into riding. There's connection with the horse, who is your teammate, and then there are endless hours of practice. You have to think quickly and always pay attention to what's around you and how your horse is doing, or else you will wind up on the ground, probably by being bucked off while cantering/galloping at 20-25 ish mph. Trust me. It is one of the most under-rated sports out there, right next to gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, or basically any sport that isn't like, American football, soccer, basketball, baseball, etc. Like, there are other sports besides those ... And they are equally as tough, if not tougher ... I just want my sport to be respected, that's all I'm asking for. Is that too much? (from Kelly, June 2012)
A study was done that showed motocross was the second most physically demanding sport behind soccer. The reason soccer is said to be harder is because one game is 90 minutes. The intensity of motocross is much higher. The only way to really understand how physically tough motocross is to ride a dirt bike, and riding in your yard does not count. You have to get good enough to go to a track and be able to do all the jumps and the whoops to really understand. People who say motocross is easy either have never rode a dirt bike or arent good enough to do laps around a real motocross track. (from Jamie, June 2012)
Gymnastics should definitely be higher on the list. I and all of my gymnastics teammates after retiring have risen in other sports EASILY. I made the college wrestling team only training before it 1 year. Another teammate made the Rugby team doing the same thing ... Gymnastics is by far in the top 5. (from 2000, June 2012)
Motocross is most definitely 2nd in the list right after desert racing. You go try it and then tell me that it's not. I am 15 years old and love to ride, my bike is almost double my weight and it's really hard to keep under control at high speeds. Moto is also very dangerous (from Nacia, May 2012)
What is the basis of this list? You should play badminton or squash sometime ... Those should be in the top 5 ... (from Gábor, May 2012)
OMG. What the hell is rowing and swimming doing below the likes of rugby, surfing and skateboarding etc. They are one of the two most intensive and physically demanding sports in the world according to top sports professionals. They should be the top two toughest sports. I've played, basketball, water polo, soccer, rugby, surf life saving and was a swimmer for 10 years and I'm now in my 3rd season of rowing. None of those sports compared to that of rowing or swimming. Get your facts right, this scale is absolute rubbish. PS. Your testing methods are not very professional as you should have tested resting heart rate, recovery time and which sports people have the ability to maintain a very high heart rate for the longest time period. The clear winners of all of these tests have been Cross Country Skiers, Rowers and Swimmers. (from C.W.P, May 2012)
Really? Motocross? Come on guys. I know motocross is tough (I do ride) but I also fight. I like how the first thing the moto guys say are " have you ever", well I have. Have YOU ever put on boxing gloves and boxed for 6 rounds? Much less 12. Or fought 5 rounds MMA? I know you haven't because there is no way you could still put Moto ahead of those. Comparing moto to boxing, MMA, a triathlon, soccer, etc.. Is just ridiculous. But really there is no point in arguing because the moto guys will always say moto, swimmers say swimming, chess players say chess.. Well you get what I'm saying. This is an argument that really can't be won/proven. Pointless really (from Jason, May 2012)
Desert racing on motorcycles is way more physically demanding than all of these even motocross, try racing 100 other riders through the desert all starting at the drop of a banner, through the worst terrain imaginable, dry dusty hot trails you have never seen, racing for 4-sometimes 24 hours, any lack of concentration can cause death 30 miles from camp, hundreds of miles from civilization ... gnarly ... rugby that weenies (from T-Snapp, May 2012)
Like any motocross guy could last for even ONE day of the tour de france in the alps ... HA! (from poonani, May 2012)
I see that everyone wants their own sport on top. The complaining can be excused, because you obviously have all found your own sports to be physically demanding. But it's a sport, and that's the point. You can't play all sixty sports on this list to the same degree, nor can you know magically where one belongs in the ranking. I'll give you my own (biased) experience to attempt and quiet the tennis complainers: I came home from a single hour of individual training drenched in sweat and sore earlier. I know that it requires a lot of movement and control. But I'm not complaining about the listing, just trying and probably failing to show you how different points of view work ... Sigh. (from Caroline, May 2012)
It is motocross. People who have never raced motocross will never understand. So don't listen to uneducated guessers. It was claimed that soccer was number 1 in the 80s and further studies found that motocross was the most physically demanding. I've shown other sports people how to ride a motocross track and to their surprise they found it harder than competing in freestyle martial arts tournaments and triathlons. So what i am trying to say is they had no idea before riding a motocross track . just because it looks like a fun easy sport doesn't mean it is. A bike weighs around 100 kilos and is bouncing all over the place using 300mm of suspension travel. you stand on the footpegs gripping the bikes petrol tank with your knees most of the time. The bike jolts in random directions and you must do or die. Not like a referee is gunna stop the fight or you will miss that goal etc. You can be traveling at speeds of up to 145 kph and be forced into wheel ruts so deep their up to your foot pegs. you are constantly shifting you entire body weight around on the bike. Acceleration and breaking is like going from a chin up to a pushup whilst bouncing over 30 cm+ bumps. And these bikes accelerate fast. you only have to watch funniest home videos to see what happens to beginners on a high power to weight ratio mx bike and you see why they flip. I raced 2 stroke 500 cc motocross and non std bikes run close to 68 hp at 101 kg. Have a go if you don't believe me instead of being a couch potato know it all. (from quan, May 2012)
Okay I'm guessing that most of you who have commented on this have never even played the sports you are saying aren't hard, you can't know how hard something is until you have played it. And I play basketball and it's perfectly placed! Oh you guys who try to say driving a car is as hard as boxing! Idiots! (from Noah Jones, May 2012)

WHY IS EQUESTRIAN 54!!!! HARDEST SPORT IN THE WORLD, JUMPING A HUGE UNPREDICTABLE ANIMAL OVER A 6FT JUMP ... AND WHY IS GOLF RIGHT DOWN THERE ... REQUIRES SO MUST SKILL!!! (from Rhys Ivo, May 2012)
Seriously, what the hell is this! tennis and badminton above swimming? if ANY of these sports stepped up onto that block and tried swimming, they'd die. Swim is proven to work more muscles than almost any sport. LAME. Swim is number ONE.
Basketball comes over wrestling?!?!?! Rubbish!!!! (from Nick, April 2012)
This is crazy. Motocross is number one or two easily. (With soccer either above or below) Every other sport focuses mainly on upper body or lower body. Motocross requires you to use all of your bodies strength to haul a bike (100kg+) around a rough challenging track for up to 45 minutes. For whoever put this list together, learn before you write. (from Anonymous, April 2012)
Since when is basketball more physically demanding than wrestling - not possible. All they do is run up a court, wrestling is three hours of hard practice everyday loosing from 2-6 pounds a day in water weight and fat and gaining it in muscle. And what is this about reaction time and agility that's wrestling not basketball. Whoever did this is stupid (from landon, April 20120
I truly believe that #32 should be detailed, for a Formula 1 pilot has to go immense physical and psychological barriers in order to stay focus, ahead and win without being involved in a spin off, side swipe or decapitation. (from Deeds, April 2012)
Dancing is a tough sport and is not recognized fully for the long hard hours and training program (from Cara Thomson, April 2012)
Has anyone heard of Formula 1 racing? you have to have extreme precision, at high speeds for 90 minutes while dealing with some major g-forces! I think Formula 1 is far more strenuous than boxing. In boxing you have a break every 3 minutes, in formula 1 you don't get a break for 90 minutes! (from Sammi, April 2012)
Motocross/Supercross has to be #1. These guys train just as hard if not harder than those who run tri-athalons. Wake up, Run 6 miles, hit the gym, Get on a dirtbike and ride and physically beat the living tar out of a 2-300 lbs. two wheeled rocket that beats the tar out of them. it works every part of the body and uses muscles most have never known they had. 75ft long jump 40ft in the air and they rail it. when they hit the ground the G-force is probably close to about three pressing down on them. and they just take it like it were a roller coaster ride and keep on going. Now Tell Me That's Not Tough!!! (from Jake, March 2012)
Gymnastics: why is it number 8 after tennis WTF I'm 12 and try doing 2 hours of strength with my coach on my back constantly telling me to work harder TRY IT!!!!!!!!!!!! (from gbhkgf, March 2012)
I guess people don't consider Motocross a sport? Throwing around a 100kg+ bike for 20-45minutes without stoppages at a minimum heart rate of between 170-180bpm all the while racing against 19-39 riders at a time, with the slightest lack of concentration possibly resulting in death. If you don't consider motocross a 'sport' then I feel sorry for you, because it's tougher in every way possible compared to other so called 'sports' out there. (from John, March 2012)
Triathlon not even on the list? Football #3? Why are American football players so fat? The farthest they run is 100 yards, that is the shortest race in track. Get a clue. (from jay, Feb 2012)
Seriously? if ya'll were smart, Rodeo: Bull/ Bareback/ Bronc riding would be top of the list, its uncommon but this sport takes you to the very limits of your endurance, strength, and mental/physical willpower, and its not for pussies (from Rank Rider, Jan 2012)
cycling should be in top 5 ... (from jack, Jan 2012)
Tennis above squash ? jajaja is that a joke ? (from Mauricio, Jan 2012)
Why is motocross not up there? Top three all the way! The amount of training the pros put in and the high heart rate for 30 min plus two laps not only once, but twice a race. Then add in all the muscles you use to control the bike; go ridin on a real Moto track and you'll feel aches in muscles you never knew you had. Not to mention the mental side of the sport. It is really over looked as a physically demanding sport, "all you do is ride the bike". The truth is the bike rides you. It's not one on one, it's one on 39 other riders. You also have to compete with yourself, the mental part of the sport is crucial and it can really drain you. All in all every other sport takes one ball ... Motocross takes two. :) (from Caleb, Jan 2012)
I think it should be 1 boxing 2 rowing 3 cross-country skiing 4 running 5 hockey. (from Ave, Jan 2012)
Where is dancing ... which rank does it have?? (from Karl, Dec 2011)
MOTOCROSS! (from Cammy, Dec 2011)
There's been studies done with top athletes like travis pastrana and other major sport playing test different physical strengths and etc ... the study resulted in soccer being the most physically demanding sport with motocross in second why is motocross on this list (from Nov 2011)
Why is rowing listed at 39?!?! That doesn't make any sense to me at all. People think it looks easy because the people make it LOOK easy because they are good at it! Rowers are the most fit athletes out of any other sport. (from Jessica, Nov 2011)
35? really? rowing may be shorter a shorter duration of race/game but you are pushing your body to its absolute limit the entire way. top 10 at least (from rower, Nov 2011)
MOTOCROSS for sure (from J, Nov 2011)
I think u guys need to do some motocross testing. It would show proof how demanding it really is. U should get ESPN to do the sports science deal it would surprise a lot of people. (from selina, Oct 2011)
Competitive cheerleading should definitely be higher on the list in my opinion. It's incredibly demanding to run, jump, dance, tumble and throw girls in the air while constantly counting in your head to ensure the routine is perfectly in sync while keeping a smile on your face and making it look effortless. Basketball players throw balls, we throw people. Constant running through the whole routine, only stopping to throw girls in the air. I call that demanding. Not to mention, in most other sports, when you get hurt, you get off the floor and a replacement goes on. In cheer, there are no replacements, you get punched, kicked, concussed or sprain an ankle, you work through it. No matter what. there is no stopping, it's your one shot. (from Shania, Oct 2011)
I love how everyone thinks their sport should be number one. Formula one? Don't kid yourself Jesse. Motocross does not deserve to be top 5 for all the people moaning. I do agree that cross-country skiing should be number one and rowing should definitely be higher up. Football should be about 35th I'd say to be honest. I was also surprised about badminton, that should probably be top 15. (from Euan, Aug 2011)
Where is Rock Climbing/Bouldering? thats has to be up in the top 20 or even the top 10 (from Toby, Aug 2011)
Yeah motocross is top 5 easy. Mentally demanding for 40 minz at a time flat out heart rate around 175 to 190 the whole time. No rest have a mind fade ya have broken bones. (from Thomas, Aug 2011)
People that are hating on this please, you're only upset cause your favorite sport didn't make it to top 10 so stop complaining and keep your opinions to yourselves (from Chris, July 2011)
This is retarded who actually cares about a sports list if you don't play it how would you know, but yes some things on this list are ridiculous. (from Laxsince98, July 2011)
Motocross by far is the most demanding. Try a 45 minute Moto then tell me. (from Big J, June 2011)
I think you guys are missing the point. its not the most physically demanding sport but rather the most demanding of the entire aspect of sports including mental (from np, June 2011)
- Actually, this is all about the most physically demanding sport, tip- read the title
Motocross is more demanding then most of these sports (from gee, June 2011)
Please American football over Rugby, skiing, soccer, wrestling you must be joking??? 40 seconds of explosion vs non-stop intervals of up to 45 minutes. The condition of the players must speak for itself surely? Get an NFL player to run Rugby for two halves, no chance. (from Mick, May 2011)
I see you have placed rowing at number 39? under badminton? under surfing? football? soccer? SKATEBOARDING? I do believe the person that made this has never tried rowing. that is ridiculous. In a race the amount of lactic acid build up is incredible. And goes for 6 minutes. And you CANNOT stop without being a disgrace. Rowing is also a skill. You can't get in a boat and go. Every slight mishap will slow you down. It has even been PROVEN that rowing is the most energy demanding sport. The person who made this is a fool. 39th. Unbelievable. It is THE most demanding sport. point out how it isn't or how something is harder and i will tell you how it's not. (from JJ, May 2011).
Team or doubles volleyball? Team should not be greater than racquetball and others. (from andy.b79, Apr 2011)
Motocross top 3 for sure (from Ray, Apr 2011)
Swimming no 45, what is this!!! (from Jack, Jan 2011).
This list is an absolute disgrace to any sports person ... rowing 39th??, should be top 2 ... tennis 7th?, should be 40th. Whoever came up with this list clearly shows a lack of intelligence and is obviously a stupid dumb American who wouldn't know the first thing about physical demands (from George A, Jan 2011).
Ama motor x and super x check that out (from slopie, Jan 2011)
What about rowing??????!!!!?????? how the hell is motocross and basketball anywhere near as intense as rowing? I rate it should be x-country skiing at 1 then rowing at 2 (from jjf, Dec 2010)
I agree with ice hockey being up that high. However, I would definitely switch basketball and soccer. Soccer should be in the top 5. (from unbiased Dec 2010)
There's no way this is legit. Short track speed skating exploits EVERY single of those skills to the extreme. (m, Nov 2010).
Motocross is not listed! what a joke. Top 2 ( T.Friday, Nov 2010).
What about AFL !!! (Josh, Nov 2010).
AH!!!! LOOOL!!!! soccer #10 ?!?!?! Soccer requires every skill they mentioned. Requires more speed, more endurance, more power and more analytic aptitude than any sport in that list that uses a ball. It so frustrating seeing tops like this one being made by people who know nothing about the sport. (Frank, Nov 2010).
Uh ya think they may have missed a top 5 with motocross?? Idiots. (James, Nov 2010).
Formula one (Driving) should be second (Jesse, Oct 2010).

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